The Journey
by DemonicFury
Summary: The story of the two pups of Amaterasu and Waka. Join them as they fight new enemies, uncover sinister plots, and learn the truth about the Moon Tribe!
1. I'm Leaving

**Chapter One: I'm Leaving**

**A/N 9/28/09: **I'm revising this story, chapter by chapter, in an effort to have it reflect my current skills and to clarify some things. I will try to get new chapters up quickly. Enjoy this revised edition of "The Journey". (Revised chapters will have the new page breaks and some kind of Author Note to show that they are revised)

A few points:

If you need a translation of the French, ask me. I know how to use Google translator.^^

Sakura is eight; Sasuke is five(they're just really mature(being part wolf is partially at fault)).

Their names are a coincidence; I didn't notice until I'd already written a few chapters and I refuse to change their names now.

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"Come on…." Sakura growled in annoyance as she pawed at the ground. She knew something was here; she could feel it. Dirt flew back behind her in large clumps as she swiftly moved the damp soil. Finally, her paw struck something and a treasure chest appeared. "All right!" she shouted in glee. Her tail wagged back and forth as she looked it over. Upon seeing no handle, she looked to the ground. "Wait. How am I supposed to open it?" She whimpered and her ears flattened against her head. Then, they stood straight up.

Frustrated at having wasted so much time, she stepped back and headbutted it. Instantly, the chest opened and a shiny mirror fell out. "Hm?" She sniffed at it, intrigued by the sacred aura surrounding it. As her reflection appeared in it, her red markings glowed. The mirror took to the air. It flew around her in a circle before coming to rest on her back. "It's a weapon?" she cried, bewildered that she had found one. The silver flames surrounding it surged and swirled with strength, giving her an idea.

Smiling, she raced off down the path toward a Demon Scroll. "Let's go, you dumb monsters!" As she brushed the Scroll, a force field appeared, trapping her with a group of low-level imps. She growled and raced at them, dodging their attacks and striking at them with her new weapon. She quickly finished off two of them and was about to go after the third one when a large imp, one with a drum, appeared. She raced to attack it, but it disappeared underground in the blink of an eye and a torrent of dirt. She snarled and turned toward the low-level imp, who was busy trying to sneak up on her. "Die!" The mirror struck loudly, turning the imp into a clump of flowers. "Oh, yeah!" she shouted, smiling. "That's what you get for-" She was cut off as the larger imp struck her from below, sending her flying into the air. She landed with a loud _THUD! _"Oww…" she whimpered, struggling to her feet. The imp began playing its drum; another attack was coming. Her body refused to move. It felt as heavy as lead. She closed her eyes and cried, "No!"

No blow came.. She looked around in shock. The force field was fading. The imp was cut in half. "How…?" She was answered as she caught sight of a familiar pink shirt and purple pants. "Oh, no," she whined. Her body lightened. She moved, racing away down the path. Unfortunately, her leg hurt and slowed her considerably.

"Sakura…." called a familiar voice. She ignored it and raced as fast as she was able toward the Dojo. _"With this Mermaid Coin, I can go anywhere I want! I can prove I am worthy of the title Okami!"_ She glanced behind her; her father was nowhere to be seen. She sniffed the air. His scent had disappeared as well. _"Has he finally given up on me? Does he think I can handle myself? Maybe he figured I was heading home…" _

"Aahh!" she yelped as she tripped over a rock and tumbled into the pond that lay in front of the Dojo. "Oh, man…." She coughed up water as she struggled to the bank. She hauled herself out of the water and shook herself off. The reflector on her back disappeared in a flash of light. "Stupid water…." She whined loudly and laid her head on her paws. Her leg ached, she was freezing, and her parents would be fuming by the time she managed to drag herself home. It just wasn't worth it. She closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep, hoping her strength would return to her after some rest.

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"Sakura…." said a soothing voice.

Her eyelids fluttered open. "Hmm? D-Dad?" Her father was kneeling beside her, his hand on her back. He sounded concerned, but she knew that she would be lectured sternly and grounded when she returned home. Her new weapon would most likely be taken away as well, if it ever reappeared.

She whimpered and covered her eyes with her paws. She felt his hand move around her waist. He effortlessly picked her up and held her to his body. She didn't bother struggling. Waka asked, "Ma fille, are you injured?" Sakura shook her head.

"No, no, je suis bien."

"Good." Waka stood up and jumped into the air. He landed just outside of their house in Kamiki Village and walked inside. Amaterasu, a tall woman with long, white hair, stood as he entered. She strode over to them, amber eyes full of concern.

"Where have you been?" she asked, looking the pup over for wounds.

"Sakura collapsed, and I did not want to move her until she awoke." Amaterasu's eyes narrowed and the mirror on her back surged with enough power to bathe the whole room in a fiery glow.

"So you waited until it was pitch black outside? Until I'd worried myself sick about her?" Waka backed up a step and nervously raised a hand.

"She was very tired, ma cherie." Amaterasu shook her head and took the pup from his arms, her anger dissipating. She stroked Sakura's head and laid her on a mat. She pressed a hand to the pup's forehead. The goddess' markings pulsed, and her child changed from a wolf to a human.

"Sakura," said Amaterasu, caressing the girl's cheek.

"I-I'm fine, Mom." Sakura pulled herself up into a sitting position and straightened her long sleeve. "Really."

"But what were you thinking? You know it's dangerous outside after dark." Sakura frowned and crossed her arms. She turned up her nose, blue orbs staring holes in the hut's roof.

"I'm a demi-god, Mom. I can handle whatever comes after me."

"Ma fille," said Waka, "you did not seem to handle that Drummer very well." Amaterasu grabbed her daughter's shoulder and turned her around.

"You took on a Drummer? What were you thinking?" Sakura shrugged her hand off and looked away again.

"Hey, I managed to finish off the three small imps with no problem! That guy just snuck up on me!"

"Of course he did! He was a monster! Monsters never fight fair!"

Sakura clenched her hand, forming a fist. She stood, shouting, "Stop treating me like a baby! I'm a god in the making!"

"You are a baby! My baby!" Amaterasu stood and looked her in the eyes. "You're still too young to go out fighting monsters! You don't know any Celestial Brush techniques, and you don't even have a weapon!" Sakura held her tongue. Why mention the randomly appearing mirror? "Go to your room and stay there until further notice!" Sakura groaned and stormed off to the room she shared with her brother, Sasuke.

She collapsed on the mat that served as her bed and became immersed in her thoughts. She mentally talked back and forth, pretending there was someone else in her mind. _"I should run, as far away as possible. But your leg? My leg is fine! No, it's not. It will not carry you away fast enough. Yes, it will! I just need to make it to the Dojo and use my Mermaid Coin to teleport somewhere. But you must have been to a Mermaid Pool to be able to teleport to it from another one. Aw, you're right! Use a Brush Technique to get to Agata Forest. But I don't know any. It's in your blood. The Brush Strokes will come to you. Really? Yes."_

She opened her eyes and looked around. The house was dark; her mother was probably asleep and her father was most likely back at the shrine. She stood up and looked over at her brother. He was asleep on his mat. She quickly grabbed her Astral Pouch and packed a little bit of food into it before heading for the front door. However, before she could reach it, a hand grabbed her white and red kimono.

Sakura looked down at the black-haired boy, who stared back with wide amber eyes. "Sister, why are you going out at this time of night?"

"Sasuke, I need to go train myself, to prove I'm able to care for myself. I have to show I can be a great goddess like Mother."

He slightly smiled, showing small fangs. "Can I come, too?"

"No, you need to stay here and keep Mom and Dad calm while I'm gone. If we both leave, they'll become frantic and forget their duties as guardians of this area."

"Good point," said the boy. His black wolf ears flattened against his head as he yawned.

"Now go back to bed and make sure they don't notice I'm gone."

He cocked his head. "You want me to lie?"

"No, just cover for me." He looked to the floor, thinking, then nodded.

"Oh, okay. I think I can do that."

"Thanks."

"No problem, Sis." Sasuke then headed back to his bed, his wolf tail swaying as he moved. Sakura slipped out of her house into the dark night. She shifted to her wolf form and raced off for the passage to Agata Village. When she reached it, however, she was forced to stop.

"Oh, man, the ferry doesn't run at this time of night." She stood on the bank, her hopes of escape dashed. Suddenly, a voice in her head spoke up.

"_Use the Water Lily Brush Stroke."_

"Who...?"

"_It matters not. Just use the Brush Stroke."_

She shook her head. "I can't. I don't know it."

"_Just a draw a circle on the water."_

"Okay. I'll try, Mysterious Voice." She imagined a large brush drawing a circle on the water and yelped lightly as a water lily appeared.

"_Now jump on it."_ She obeyed and was surprised to find it supported her weight. She repeated this process again and again and soon found herself at the bottom of a small cliff. _"Wall Jump."_ She jumped against the wall and jumped over the edge to the landing.

"Wow, I did it!" She looked back at the lily pads, a bit disappointed that they were fading away. She thought, _"I suppose it's for the better… Now, to find out just what lies ahead."_ A bright light flashed and the reflector from earlier appeared on her back. "Ah, awesome!" The silver flames surged, as did her markings. Standing tall, she walked through the opening in the wall, unsure of what lay on the other side but fully willing to face it.


	2. The Discovery and Predictions

**Chapter 2: The Discovery and Predictions**

**A/N 1/6/10:** Wow, I am in such hot water with you guys. I should've had this all revised a month ago. I just can't make myself sit down and reread something. I get bored 'cuz I already know what happens.

But, anyway, here is the revised version of Chapter Two. Enjoy.

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"Whoa…." said Sakura as she marveled at the large forest before her. Everything was emerald green and in the middle of the trees sat a large lake with crystal clear water. Small landmasses formed a path of sorts from one bank to another. However, she opted to walk along the beach. Her keen eyesight allowed her to choose her footfalls well enough to avoid slipping into the water, despite the sky still being pitch black.

She spotted a dimly lit cave and entered it. Her footsteps echoed in the cave, as did a dripping sound. As the path widened, she spied something beside a spring. _"A house…?"_ She entered the strangely-decorated hut and investigated the two pots near the door. One of them toppled over as she pawed it, spilling something onto the floor. "Food!" she said in surprise. She quickly put the bread into her Astral Pouch. Hoping for more food, she continued exploring the house.

"I foresaw your coming, young one." Sakura jumped, then realized an old woman was sitting behind a desk a few feet from her. How had she not noticed her before? "Your mother herself once journeyed here as you did. She listened to my advice and completed her journey. Now, it is your turn. That is, if you have enough money."

Sakura whined and sat down. "I have no money. I only have my mirror and my Astral Pouch."

"Well, that's too bad. Why don't you go fight some monsters to earn some money and come back when you have enough?" Sakura cocked her head to the left.

"You get money from fighting monsters?"

"Of course. Monsters carry money, and when you destroy them they drop it."

"Oh, then I'll be right back!" She raced off toward the beach. Earlier, she had seen a Demon Scroll lurking on a nearby island. She stopped at the water's edge and groaned. "It's too far to jump…." The voice from earlier echoed in her thoughts. The word, "Lilypad," fell from her lips. She imagined a brush drawing a circle. A lilypad appeared and she used it as a stepping stone to get to the island. Then, she raced toward the Scroll. "Let's go!"

A force field surrounded Sakura as monsters appeared. The five low-level imps circled her and then charged. She shouted, "Silver Flash, go!" and attacked brutally with her shining mirror. After only a few hits,the imps screamed and disappeared, leaving flowers and money behind.

Sakura shifted to her human form and picked up the money, a smile crossing her face. The money weighed heavy in her hand. "This should be enough." She shifted to wolf form and raced back to the fortune teller, eager to hear her prediction. "How much?"

"500 yen, white wolf."

"Here," she said, tossing the coins onto the table.

"Good. Now, let's see what the bones predict for you!" The atmosphere in the hut suddenly grew thick. Sakura found herself barely able to keep her head up. _"Something's crushing me..."_ Her mouth opened in a silent whimper as the force crashed down on her, toppling her. She fell on her side, unable to move.

The old woman shuddered a bit and sputtered out, "A hunter is coming; with him is darkness. Run for your life; be wary of familiar faces." The weight lifted from Sakura's body and she stood on unsteady legs.

"What? What does that mean?" The old woman crossed her arms and frowned.

"You heard me. That is my prediction. Now go, and be on guard." Sakura whimpered lightly in frustration but grudgingly raced off to explore Agata Forest a bit before venturing onward.

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**That night…..**

"Sasuke, would you take this to your sister?" Amaterasu asked, holding out a plate of food. Sasuke nodded and carried it into the bedroom. He made it sound like he was offering it to Sakura and then threw it across the room, as if she was still upset about her punishment.

"Don't worry. I'll clean it up," he called from the bedroom. He grabbed a rag and quickly mopped up the mess. After hearing all this, Amaterasu sighed and placed a hand on her forehead.

"What has gotten into that girl?"

"More like where has that girl gotten to, mon amour," said Waka, leaning against the front door's frame. Amaterasu's eyes widened and she turned toward her husband.

"What?!" she cried, fear surging through her veins.

"She was not in her room when I checked this morning. Did she tell you where she was going?"

Amaterasu stood and shouted, "I didn't even know she was gone!"

"C'est une mauvaise chose, isn't it?" asked Waka, scratching his chin.

"Of course it's bad!"

Amaterasu raced out of the house in wolf form and Waka followed her, pausing only to say, "Sasuke, stay here!"

"Yes, Father." As soon as they had disappeared from view, Sasuke shifted to his wolf form and raced off to his secret shortcut to the ferry to Agata Forest._ "If I know Sakura like I know Sakura, she's gone to Agata!" _His legs pumped as he jumped over rocks and dodged trees. He had to beat his parents to Sakura; he had to warn her to come home.

A bush rustled nearby, causing him to shift his gaze and charge headfirst into a treasure chest. As he shook himself off, it opened and a string of green and purple beads fell out. "Hey, these are rosary beads!" His red markings glowed and the beads curled themselves around his neck. _"I have a weapon?"_

The beads gave him formerly unknown confidence. He raced off with a renewed vigor and soon found himself in Agata Forest. "Now let's see…." He peered down from the cliff but could see nothing helpful. "It's no use. I'm too high up. I need to look around some of those islands. I'm sure she's here somewhere!" He leaped from his perch and landed on the high ground that overlooked the small islands in the lake. He jumped again and landed on the beach.

Sasuke glanced around and spotted a cave. He entered it and found a small house. As he neared it, three imps appeared and attacked him. "Grrr…." They landed a few blows, but Sasuke recovered and used his beads like a whip, destroying them in one hit. He collected the money and bones they dropped before entering the house.

"Black wolf, draw nearer, so I may read you." He did as told and walked up to the old woman. "Do you have the money?"

"H-how much?"

"500 yen." He considered the offer and decided it was a fair price. Besides, what else would he need the money for?

"Here." He handed her a pouch with 500 yen in it.

"Good. Now, let's see what the bones predict for you!" Sasuke felt a force push down on his body but he fought it off by shaking himself from head to tail. The woman shuddered and stated, "Beware of the white wolf, for with it comes death. A helping hand is not always good." His head cocked to the right.

"Wait, what?"

"That is what the bones say, now go." Sasuke sighed and left the hut, a feeling a dread pooling in the pit of his stomach.

"Oh, man…. Maintenant, je suis vraiment confuse. Etait-elle parler de ma mère ou ma sœur?" He shook his head. "I can't let that old woman rattle me. I've got to focus." He let out a long howl to free his negative feelings. Then, he set off in search of his sister.


	3. Meeting and Creation

**Chapter 3: Meeting and Creation**

**A/N 1/7/10:** Yes, chapter three is revised and up!

Heh, discovered I had Waka saying "Laugh!" at the end of this chapter. Now he's saying, "Until next time!"

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"Sister? Soeur? Ma sœur, tu es là?" called Sasuke. It echoed throughout the forest but received no response. He sighed and walked further down the path. Soon, he came upon a sign that read "To Tsuta Ruins". He followed the sign and came upon an ancient door. He sniffed at it, then decided, _"Probably doesn't even open anymore…" _

Sasuke leapt onto a nearby island and was instantly engaged in battle. Three low-level imps and two Drummers surrounded him and began attacking. He fought back but ended up spiraling into the water. As he struggled to swim, a lily pad appeared under him. He stood on it and watched in amazement as a white and red blur blazed past him and destroyed the monsters in two seconds flat.

"Soeur!" he cried, grinning. Sakura turned toward him and stared at him with piercing blue eyes. His smile disappeared and his ears flattened. Her face was gaunter than it had been earlier; she looked more menacing, more ready to kill. And less like his sister.

"Well, who else could do something like that, Sake?"

"How **did** you do that?"

Sakura brushed her nose with her paw and said, "I've been training for the past few hours. So, why did you come?"

"Mom and Dad found out you're missing and set off to find you!" Sakura's ears flattened against her head and she sat down.

"Aw, man! Well, where did they start searching?"

"I don't know. I ran off to find you right after they left."

"Oh, crap, I've got to get going!" She stood and began to run.

"No, you've gotta come back with me!" he shouted, grabbing her with his teeth and pulling her toward the way home. She barked loudly as a warning, causing him to release her. Her expression darkened once more. Sasuke felt the atmosphere thicken as it had in Madam Bone's hut. This time, however, he could not simply shake it off.

Sternly, Sakura said, "I'm not going back, Sasuke."

"Pardon? Mais vous devez y revenir!"

"Sasuke, I can't stop now. I'm already in trouble, so I might as well go explore the rest of the land. I'm going to go all the way to Sei-an City!"

"Sei-an City?! Oh, can I go with you?" Madam Bone's prophecy echoed in his skull but he ignored it. He thought, _"If I let her go and something happens… Grr… I've got to stay with her!"_

"Fine," she barked, "but only if you can keep up!" Sasuke nodded and wagged his tail.

"Of course I can! Now, let's go!" Sakura raced off toward the bridge to Taka Pass with Sasuke close behind her.

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Blood red eyes narrowed as they fell upon an image of pair of wolves. "Another white wolf…?" asked a serpent head topped with the kanji for "Dark".

"Perhaps the same one?" asked an identical head marked with "Poison".

"No, this is a different one. See the markings?" replied Dark.

"So, the mutt had a kid?" asked a head marked with "Fire".

"Figures. As if the original wasn't such a nuisance," said the serpent labeled "Wind".

Poison's eyes widened and he grinned evilly. "Hey, let's take the brat hostage. When Mommy comes to rescue the kid, we kill her and take our revenge."

"Good idea!" spouted Lightning.

"Hey, who do we send to grab the kid?" asked the serpent of flames.

"We need someone new. Someone that isn't associated with us," answered Dark.

Lightning said, "How about-"

"Shut it, dumb-dumb!" shouted Fire, his fangs bared.

"Let's create more than one new guy, so that if one fails we still have backups," said the head marked "Light".

"Yeah, make one that's like huge, like us," said Earth.

"Yeah, with jagged teeth and brown and red skin," said Fire.

"It will be like a dragon, but not," said Poison.

Wind added, "It will be fast for something of its size and will actually have a brain, unlike the imps." In a flash, the monster appeared. Its dark skin was marked with crimson and its eyes blazed gold. It roared, shaking the land.

"My Lord, for what reason hast thou created me?"

The head of darkness leaned forward. "Kouryou, dragon of storm, go forth and spread your evil across the land. Bring me the white wolf pup, alive, and make sure the black pup gives word to the parents of its kidnapping."

"As you wish, My Lord." The dragon turned and left the cave at a lumbering pace.

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Sasuke gasped and clutched the log with his paws as the ground began to shake. He cried, "Is it an earthquake?!"

"I hope so!" Sakura shouted back. The log shuddered and began losing its place on the banks of the river it served as a bridge across. "Sasuke, run!" He nodded and raced after her. They managed to make it off right before the log collapsed into the churning water below.

They lay on the bank, gasping for breath, obviously upset by the near fall. "Sœur…."

"Oui?"

"I'm starting to think this was a bad idea…"

"Well, there's no turnin' back now!" She stood, as did he, and shook off.

Sasuke sighed and said, "You're right. So, I guess we better keep moving. Taka Pass is just ahead, and then from there we can go to Kusa Village or the City." They turned and were about to race off when a familiar voice rang out.

"Stop right there!" They froze in place, afraid to look.

After what seemed like an eternity, Sakura dared to glance back. On the other side of the stream stood their mother in her wolf form. A burning mirror blazed on her back.

Amaterasu shouted, "Why did you run away?! And why destroy the bridge?!"

"We-we didn't do that! The earthquake did it!" cried Sasuke.

"And we were going to come back!" added Sakura.

"Oh, you're coming back alright!"

Sakura suddenly smiled wickedly and began to leave. She coldly said, "Sasuke, let's go."

"What?!" The black wolf stared at her in disbelief.

"She can't cross the water. Let's go."

"But-"

"Just follow me," she said slyly. Sasuke hesitantly obeyed. Amaterasu let out a loud howl as her pups began moving from her line of sight.

"N-no! Come back!" When they were out of sight, she sat down, defeated.

"Mon amour, j'ai une prophétie pour vous." Amaterasu kept her head down, ignoring Waka. "A storm is coming. Can you hear the thunder?" She looked up at him.

"How is that a prophecy?"

"It will make sense later on. Now, where are our pups?"

"They went that way," she said, motioning with her paw.

"Mon cher, why not use a Mermaid Spring to get ahead of them?" Amaterasu's eyes widened.

"Good idea! I'll go back to the one in Shinshu Field. You stay with them and make sure they are unharmed."

"Why don't I just get them myself?"

"You really think you can capture both of them at the same time?"

"Good point, mon cher. I'll be going now. Jusqu'à la prochaine fois!" He flew off after the pups as Amaterasu raced off toward Shinshu Field.


	4. The Drought and The Moving Mountain

**Chapter 4: The Drought and The Moving Mountain**

**A/N 1/7/10:** Sorry about the confusing Orochi conversation last chapter. I tried to make it easier to understand by adding dialogue tags. And yes, if you didn't figure it out, I am addressing the Orochi heads by their element.

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"Soeur, vous sentez-vous cela?" asked Sasuke, stopping and glancing behind him.

"Yeah, it feels like we're being followed."

"You don't think…"

"No, it's impossible. Mom couldn't have jumped that."

"What about Dad?" Sakura's eyes widened and she lowered her head. She had forgotten that their father could jump incredible distances and even fly if he wanted.

Determined, she said, "We've got to outrun him."

"He's too fast, and besides, there's no way we could outlast him."

"We've gotta try!" Sakura's paws stirred up large clouds of dust as she raced down the path, unsure of where she was going, but sure that she needed to hurry. Sasuke struggled to keep up with her and finally had to stop and cough up the dust in his lungs. _"Why is there so much dust…?"_ he wondered as he hacked. Sakura growled and stopped running. "Hurry up!"

He groaned and looked around for a spring from which he could drink. "Huh? Hey, Sakura, what's going on? Where's all the water?"

"What the heck?" Sakura looked around in surprise. The grass was browning, the trees wilting, and the riverbed dry. "I thought this place was supposed to have the clearest water around; that's why the Sasa Sanctuary was built near here."

Sasuke pawed at the ground; the dirt was hard, as if water had not touched it in weeks. "I'm getting kind of freaked out, Sakura." Her eyes narrowed and her lip slightly curled.

"Feh, we'll be fine. Lands go through droughts all the time. It's nothing to be worried about."

"We should help them restore the water or something," said Sasuke, glancing toward the path to a village. Sakura growled and began walking away. He called after her, "So, you really don't wanna help them?"

"For the last time, they'll be fine. They'll just pray to the gods, offer some stuff, and the drought will end."

Sasuke whimpered. "But still…"

"Shut up and come on!" He reluctantly followed her, still wondering just what had caused the drought.

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"We should send another, a back-up, so that if Kouryou fails the pup will still be captured," said Dark.

"Yes, but the back-up should not go as far as Kouryou. It should be the second line of attack," replied Poison.

"Right. And let's have him fight with sound, just to mix things up," said Fire, a smile crossing his face.

"Good idea!" spouted Earth. "And let's make him not just a dragon, but also a wolf!"

"Yeah, and his body changes its looks by his mood!" added Wind.

"And I get to name him!" cried Lightning, shoving his way into the circle of heads. "His name's Gangan, 'cuz he fights with sound and we have a large bell on our back!"

"So, dumb-dumb actually named something well?" asked Fire.

"Wow, I'm so shocked," said Earth.

"_SCREECH!!!!" _A horrible noise that sounded like a mix between a dragon's roar, a wolf's howl, and the ringing of a bell sounded as a green and black blur appeared before its creator. "My Lord," it screeched, "give me my orders and I shall not fail. My triumphant roar shall echo across the land!"

"Gangan, warrior of sound, go forth and take your place. Bring me the white and red wolf, and make sure the black one gets away." Gangan turned to leave. "But listen up and listen well, do not attack unless Kouryou falls. Do not leave Sei-an City unless you have the pup, and do not venture out unless the mutt turns back. Got it?"

"Yes, My Lord," it echoed, racing off at incredible speeds.

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Sakura's ears pricked up as the ground began shaking. "Not again!" She crouched near to the ground and watched as Sasuke did the same.

Soeur, I'm scared…" She moved closer to her brother but resisted the urge to nuzzle him.

"Its okay, Sasuke. It's just an earthquake." He whimpered and glanced around.

"How do you know?" Sakura was at a loss for an answer. She did not know for sure that it was a normal earthquake. For all they knew, a monster could be causing the shaking. Swallowing hard, she stood.

"I just do. Now, let's get going."

"But the earth is still-"

"So? We'll be fine. It'll end soon." Sasuke followed his sister toward the City Checkpoint, but as they neared the drawbridge, they stopped.

Standing in front of the bridge, blocking it, was a huge dragon with what looked like rocks growing from his elbows, the top of his head, and parts of his legs. He sneered at the wolves, revealing daggerlike teeth the color of onyx.

"Oh, kami…" muttered Sasuke. The dragon roared at the wolves, causing the earth to tremble even more.

"Well, well, well! Look what I've found here! Two lost little pups!" He stepped forward, causing cracks to form in the ground. He grumbled, "Don't bother running, white mutt," and raced forward, his jaws open wide.

"Run!" Sakura shouted, racing to the dragon's right. Sasuke ran around the other side, barely avoiding being stepped on. The creature roared and turned, going after Sakura. Sasuke gasped and shot a bead at the dragon, but it had no effect. Kouryou raised his large head and slammed it into the ground, just missing Sakura. She shouted, "Sasuke, get out of here!"

"No! I won't leave you to fight him off!" He raced forward and headbutted the dragon's leg. The force of impact threw him backwards. His body rolled across the ground before coming to a stop beside a merchant's tent. Sakura whimpered and raced toward him, only to have Kouryou's jaws clamp down around her. She yelped and whined loudly as he lifted her up into the air; sharp teeth dug into her sides, drawing small streams of blood.

Kouryou stared straight at the black wolf. A voice rang in the pup's mind. "Sasuke, is it…? Anyway, remember this: If you want this mutt back, you'll have to come after Kouryou and Lord Orochi at Lunar Mountain." He then turned and walked away. As he disappeared from sight, Sasuke blacked out.

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"_Hmm? I feel a hand… Mom…? Why can't I speak…?"_ Sasuke felt like he was falling through the darkness that surrounded him. He began struggling and trying to grab something with his paws. Suddenly, he felt the hand touching his back clamp down in an effort to hold him still.

"Sasuke, stop!" He obeyed and felt a hand brush against his eyelids. Slowly, he opened them. Realizing where he was, he whimpered and buried his head in his father's chest.

"Dad…" Waka held his pup close.

Amaterasu stepped forward and asked, "Sasuke, what happened?" Sasuke turned toward her.

"Mom, Sakura was taken!"

"What?!" She glared at the blond prophet. "I thought I told you to watch over them, Waka!"

"I am sorry, Ma Cherie, but I was busy fixing the water supply for this area." Amaterasu growled and sent a rock flying with her paw.

Baring her fangs, she asked, "Who did it?"

"The dragon said that if I wanted her back I'd have to go to Lunar Mountain and face Kouryou and Lord Orochi." Amaterasu snarled.

"Lord Orochi? I should've known! He always returns when you least expect it!"

"What are we gonna do, Mom?"

"I'm going after her. Waka, take Sasuke home and make sure he stays there."

"I think we should all face this new foe."

"No. It's too dangerous for Sasuke, and I know he'll come after me if he's able." She turned and raced off toward Lunar Mountain. Waka stood, Sasuke in his arms, and headed for home. After a few minutes, he let Sasuke down.

"Mon fils, what do you say we go after them?"

"Huh? Uh, yeah, let's go!" Waka played a few notes on his flute, opening a portal.

"I believe this will allow us to beat your mother there."

"I believe you're right." Sasuke walked into the portal, his father by his side.


	5. Kouryou and the Thunder Bird

**Chapter 5: Kouryou and the Thunder Bird**

**A/N 1/13/10: ** Just noticed I was putting "09" after my dates. Changed 'em all to "10". Anyway, I better get on the ball. I've got a lot to revise before I can start writing new chapters!

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"Wake up, you worthless pest." Sakura's ear twitched slightly as she was roused from her sleep. She sat up, yawned, and looked around. What she saw shocked her. She was on top of a large hill, and above her hung a large bell. Forcing herself to move, she walked forward toward the stairs, only to have the ground shake beneath her and send her tumbling backwards. As she recovered, a large serpent's head emerged from beneath the hill and glared at her.

She yelped, "Lord Orochi!!!"

Poison smirked and said, "Well, it's good to see that the cursed white wolf has taught you some manners." Sakura growled and poised herself to fight.

"S-stay away from me! I won't hold back if we fight!" The head chuckled and soon seven other heads surrounded her.

Poison curled around and looked her in the eyes. "You fool. Your attacks could not even scratch my hide. You are only here as bait."

"Bait?" asked the wolf, stepping back.

"Yeah! We need you to-"

"**Shut up, Lightning!!!" **cried all of the heads in unison.

"Sorry…" muttered the scorned serpent. Sakura growled and raced forward, only to hit a barrier. She fell backwards again, but did not get back up.

"Oh, great. She's out again," said Earth.

"Meh. I like her better this way," said Fire.

"Oh, just shut up and get back in place," snarled Dark. The heads disappeared under the hill, lying in wait for their target to appear.

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Sasuke's yellow eyes widened as he walked further into the cave. It closely resembled a temple, and for some reason, he felt like he belonged here. He raced forward to look closer at a symbol etched into the wall, but was drug away by his father before he could get a good view. "We must hurry." Sasuke sighed and allowed himself to be drug into the next room.

Once in the room, Waka released his grip, allowing Sasuke to race to the middle of the room to investigate the marking on the floor. It was odd, and was deeply etched into the floor. It consisted of a circle within a circle and three smaller circles attached to the large middle one. At the bottom of the main circle were three leaves. He looked closer at the outer circles and realized that they were phases of the moon! Two crescents were to either side and at the top was a half moon. In the main circle was what he assumed was a full moon. He placed his paw on the full moon but nothing happened. "Aww…"

A deep bellow broke through the silence. He yelped and jumped out of the way, narrowly avoiding being crushed by Kouryou's feet.

"Little pest!" roared the beast, shaking the ground. Sasuke glared up him, his lip curling to show his teeth.

"Give me back my sister!" Kouryou snarled and swung his tail. Sasuke leapt over it and struck with his beads, but they did nothing damaging. Waka drew his sword and pulled out his flute, which turned into a second sword made of green light.

"Let's rock, baby!" he shouted, racing forward and slicing into the dragon's leg. Blood spurted from the wound, and Kouryou roared in pain before slamming his tail into the ground, causing a huge ring of rocks to rise up from the ground. Waka jumped and teleported, dodging the attacks. Sasuke jumped up the rocks and attacked Kouryou's arm with his beads. Kouryou growled in annoyance and bit at the black wolf, barely missing. His jaws clacked shut again and again as he snapped at Sasuke, who kept dodging by leaping from rock to rock.

In a fit of rage, Kouryou swung his tail, demolishing the rocks. Waka quickly attacked the rock fragments, sending them back at Kouryou. The large dragon fell backwards and landed on his back. He began struggling in an effort to get up. However, his body was too heavy for him to recover on his own. As Sasuke raced forward to attack Kouryou while he was down, two large snakelike shadows emerged from the ground and sunk their teeth into Kouryou's shoulders, pulling him upwards. Sasuke stopped running and turned tail to avoid an incoming attack from Kouryou.

"D-Dad, how are we supposed to defeat him?" Sasuke asked, gasping for breath. He was exhausted from dodging endless attacks.

"Just wait for it…"

"Huh?" As if on cue, Kouryou stood up straight and raised his head to the heavens.

"Sanda-ba-do, bird of lightning, fry these fools!" A storm began to appear. Dark black clouds swirled down from the ceiling as lightning crackled and thunder boomed. Sasuke's eyes widened and his ears fell back against his head. Kouryou roared as a huge bird made of lightning appeared and screeched.

Waka asked, "Might I suggest moving?" Sasuke raced off as the wind picked up; he was almost blown back against the wall. He yelped and focused on avoiding the lightning strikes that were now hitting right behind his tail. His legs pumped faster and he soon found that the strikes were missing by greater and greater distances. He smirked and raced at Kouryou, who was unable to move, as summoning the bird had used up most of his energy. He leapt up and struck Kouryou in the head with his beads. This time, they left a mark. As he was falling back to the ground, his body already preparing to jump back up for another attack, he caught movement out of the corner of his eye. He barely managed to flip backwards in time to avoid the bird of lightning as it flew at him, intent on striking him down. He landed on his feet and almost instantly jumped back up to attack Kouryou again, not caring if the bird came back for another round. He managed to get in two hits before falling back to the ground. As he landed, he looked around for the bird. _"Where is it…?"_

Suddenly, he heard a loud screech. He turned toward the cause of the noise and gasped. The thunderbird had fallen to the ground; his father's light sword was stuck in its left wing. Waka looked up and caught his eyes. "Hurry and finish Kouryou. I'm not sure how long my sword can keep this bird down." Sasuke nodded and jumped up, attacking again and again with his beads. After about five hits, blood began to fall from the monster's mouth and various wounds on his face. He jumped up and hit Kouryou once more and finally, the monster toppled backwards and did not get back up.

Sasuke turned toward the bird of lightning, and yelped as it flapped its wings, sending his father's sword flying. It took to the skies and came rocketing toward him, screeching violently. "T-Thousand Thunderclaps…" The arena filled with thunder and lightning. Sasuke covered his ears with his paws.

"**Gaaahh!!!! Make it stop!!!"** he cried in pain. Ignoring his pleas, the noise and light grew louder and louder, driving Sasuke to near madness. He yowled and writhed in pain, his delicate ears catching every sound and his eyelids finding themselves unable to block out the light. **"STOP!!!!"** he cried one last time, and surprisingly enough, they did. Slowly, he stood, his mind still unnerved by the attack. He looked around, expecting another attack. However, none came. He walked over to where Kouryou had last been laying. "I guess he faded away…"

"You are correct, my child." Sasuke yelped and turned, his eyes wide.

"Oh, Dad…"

"Who else were you expecting?" asked the prophet as he twirled his flute between his fingers.

"I'm not really sure anymore…" he replied, his ears flat against his head.

"Aw, cheer up, mon enfant. You won the fight, didn't you?" Sasuke perked his ears and wagged his tail.

"Hey, yeah, I did!" He cocked his head. "Wait… But what happened to the thunder bird?"

"It used up all of its energy in that last attack."

"Man, no wonder it was so painful."

"It was mental pain, Sasuke, nothing more. You shall recover."

"Y-you're my dad. Shouldn't you be checking me out? You know, making sure I'm okay?"

"I have no need to 'check you out'. I have faith in your abilities and know that you are strong enough to handle such an attack."

"Oh…" Sasuke felt a bit saddened. He did not mind being treated like other children instead of the son of an all-powerful god.

"Now, might I suggest we go find your sister? Your mother will be here in oh, say, five minutes."

"R-really?! Then we better get going!" Sasuke raced off into the next chamber, which was marked with the same strange moon symbol.


	6. The Shattered Bell and the Demon Wolf

**Chapter 6: The Shattered Bell and the Demon Wolf**

**A/N 1/19/10:** Yes, the revised version of chapter six is complete!

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"What the-? A hill? What's a hill doing in the middle of a mountain?" Sasuke walked toward the large hill, his ears tall and alert. He reached a paw out and stepped on the stairs, meaning to climb up and investigate. He glimpsed something red and white nearly hidden behind one of the trees growing around the bell. His ears flattened and his head lowered as he meekly called out, "Sakura?"

Almost instantly, the ground beneath his feet began to shake. Waka rushed forward and pulled Sasuke away just in time as a large serpent head emerged and snapped its large jaws at him. It hissed angrily and bared its fangs at the interference.

"So, the great white one has decided to send a brat and a blonde idiot to fight in her place?" Seven other heads emerged. "Very well then. You shall die in her place!" The heads roared in anger before raising a barrier around their joined body. Sasuke growled and readied himself to fight.

"Let's go, Lord Snakehead!" he barked, racing at Lord Orochi. He jumped up and used his beads to smash the barrier. However, it did not break. He landed lightly and headbutted it in vain.

Waka drew his swords and began whispering words in a strange language that made Sasuke's stomach flutter. Both his swords glowed gold as he raced forward and jumped up, cutting the barrier apart from top to bottom.

"Now, Sasuke!" The black wolf nodded and raced forward, attacking whichever head was nearest. When one fell back, another took its place. He fought viciously with his beads and teeth, not really feeling when an attack had struck him.

Suddenly, a surprise attack sent him flying backwards. At the same time, one of the heads spewed forth a noxious cloud of burning gas. Sasuke moved quickly to avoid it and winced as it sizzled and melted part of the floor. He went after the head that had summoned it, attacking multiple times to try to prevent a repeat performance. After about six hits, the head fell in defeat and did not get back up.

"Hanshou!" The bell on Lord Orochi's back began to ring loudly as one of the heads spewed fire into the air. Sasuke dodged the flames and struck at the bell; Orochi writhed in pain, signaling Sasuke to attack again. This time, the fire head fell and did not get back up.

The six heads that remained began striking at Sasuke in an effort to get him away from the bell. He dodged and used his beads to strike Sakura. "Get up! I need your help!" Her eyelids fluttered open and Sakura stood.

She looked around sleepily, muttering, "Sasuke…?" She yelped as one of the heads bit at her.

"You idiot! Don't eat her! We need her for bait!" shouted Earth.

Wind muttered, "Not anymore…" The heads smirked and began ferociously snapping at her. She used her mirror as a shield and raced after Sasuke as he jumped from the hill to the ground below, not bothering with using the stairs. The remaining heads hissed horribly and began attacking with everything they had. They were not going to take chances with these brats. Not after their last defeats at the paws of Amaterasu.

The two siblings had no choice but to keep moving and give up on any plans of attack. They had to focus what energy they had left on dodging. At the same time, the constant attacks were missing by smaller and smaller distances. And, finally, the wolves were hit and were forced to collapse, their bodies exhausted, their weapons pushed to the breaking point.

Dark smiled wickedly and said, "You pathetic little fools. Did you really think you could win?" Sasuke tried to stand but fell back down. Sakura slightly lifted her head glared angrily at the large snake. "The great Lord Orochi could never be felled by such sad efforts."

"Hey, where'd blondie go?" asked Lightning. The other heads looked around in shock.

"Hey, you're right, Lightning," said Wind. "He's gone."

"Maybe he went to get the cursed white one," proposed Earth.

"No. He ran away in fear like a scared little pest," said Dark.

"N-no! Father wouldn't leave us like this!" cried Sasuke. He looked around but saw no sign of his father.

"That jerk left us…" Sakura's expression darkened and a crushing aura seemed to fall upon the area. "I should've known he didn't care!"

"Oh, no way! This is too good!" shouted Wind. He began laughing.

"What is it?" one of the lower heads asked.

"These stupid pups are the pups of that stupid wolf and that stupid prophet! And their father just left them to die!" The heads began laughing evilly. The two pups lowered their heads.

"He wouldn't…" moaned Sasuke.

"He did," said Sakura, her fur bristling in anger. As they were lost in their thoughts, the heads stopped laughing and turned their focus back to revenge. Two of them slithered forward and grabbed the pups with their mouths. They then pulled them back toward the other heads, who were smiling, showing off their long, poisonous fangs. The pups struggled in vain. They were not strong enough to break free.

"Rakurai!" Suddenly, a bolt of lightning struck the bell in the middle of the hill, causing the two heads to release the wolf pups. Sakura landed on her feet and instantly raced forward, striking the bell with her mirror, causing it to crack and ring loudly. Sasuke landed on his feet as well, but did not attack. Instead, he looked around for the owner of the strange voice. His eyes soon found their target. High up on a ledge stood a black wolf with red markings; its body seemed surrounded by yellow energy, electricity.

"Who…?" The black wolf jumped from its perch and-while in midair-summoned another lightning bolt to attack the bell. The heads writhed in pain and fell to the ground.

"Finish him," the wolf said commandingly. Sakura nodded and struck with her mirror once more, shattering the bell. As the bell fragments faded away, so did Lord Orochi's body. Sakura landed without a sound and padded over to Sasuke and the strange wolf that had saved them.

"Who are you?" she asked. The wolf turned its demonic red gaze toward her.

"Heh. The name's Raiden," he said, his mouth slightly opening, showing his deadly fangs.

"Raiden…" The name rolled off her tongue.

"Sakura! Sasuke!" a familiar voice shouted.

"Huh? Mom!" Sasuke shouted happily. His tail began to wag as his mother neared. She nuzzled him and turned to his sister, who was staring at Raiden intently. As Amaterasu walked toward her, Sasuke turned toward where Orochi had once stood. There, as he suspected, was the moon symbol. This one was rather large. In fact, he figured he could stand on all four feet on one of the crescent markings and not have his tail touch the circle surrounding it. He walked over and touched his paw to the leaves at the bottom of the symbol, and this time, something happened. The markings glowed blue, as if in response to his touch.

He yelped and jumped backwards, yet the markings remained glowing. "S-Sakura! Mom! Look at this!"

Sakura growled and took a break from arguing with her mother to shout, "It's just a stupid symbol! Now shut up and stay out of this!" Sasuke flattened his ears and cocked his head.

"But…it's glowing!"

"No, its not! Now, shut up!!"

"But… I saw it…" The markings slowly returned to their normal, non-glowing color.

"Waka, help me out here!" Amaterasu shouted, pulling on Sakura's tail. Waka appeared out of thin air and picked up the struggling pup.

"Let go of me, you stupid traitor!" cried the white wolf.

"Whatever do you mean, mon enfant?"

"You know what I mean! You left us for dead and ran away like a coward!"

"You misunderstood my actions, Sakura. I was going to get your mother so she could help you fight. I figured you two could hold your own for a few minutes."

"Liar!" she roared, biting into his arm. Blood spurted form the wound, but he did not release his grip. He grunted in pain, but his expression did not change. However, his eyes seemed to fill with hurt. Amaterasu shifted to human form and ran her hand comfortingly across his back.

"I am fine…"

"Sasuke, let's go," commanded Amaterasu. He nodded and began walking after his parents and the seemingly-subdued Sakura.

As he passed Raiden, the wolf whispered, "It is the royal crest of the Moon Tribe." Sasuke stopped in his tracks and warily looked to the taller canine.

"The symbol. It is the crest of the Moon Tribe," said Raiden.

"How do you-"

"Just remember that crest, that name, and Sei-an City."

"Sei-an City…"

"Come on, Sasuke!" shouted Amaterasu from the doorway.

"Coming!" he shouted, racing to catch up with his parents. Raiden smiled, showing his cream teeth.

"The powers of a god shall be mine yet."


	7. Sei'an City and the Ear Splitting Cry

**Chapter 7: Sei'an City and the Ear Splitting Cry**

**A/N 1/19/10:** Yes! Another chapter revised!

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"Sakura, did you really not see it?" Sasuke asked, his short, black hair blowing slightly in the light breeze; his yellow eyes were focused skyward toward the white, puffy clouds and bright blue sky. Sakura growled and put down the buckets she was carrying to get water. Her blond hair fell into her eyes and she brushed it away.

"See what?"

"The crest on the floor of Lunar Mountain. It glowed blue."

"Grrr…" She was sick of hearing about Lunar Mountain. Her blue eyes narrowed. "No, it didn't, you idiot! It didn't freaking glow, so stop saying that it did!"

Amaterasu slightly opened the door, listening to her pups argue. Waka walked over and joined her, intrigued.

"But… I saw it…" muttered Sasuke.

"Oh, shut up, and help me with my chores!" shouted the blond girl as she hauled one of the buckets up on her shoulder.

"Hey, Sakura, I have a question…" said Sasuke, his voice barely above a whisper. "Have you heard of the Moon Tribe…?" Their parents' eyes widened. How had their children found out about the Moon Tribe?!

"The what?" Sakura asked, the white wolf ears atop her head alert.

"The Moon Tribe… Raiden mentioned them. Have you ever heard of them?" he asked, his eyes now staring at Sakura, or so it seemed, through her.

"No, I haven't. And who cares what that Raiden guy said?" She growled and her expression darkened. Sasuke felt the same crushing aura again but said nothing. "In fact, you should just forget everything that happened at that dang Lunar Mountain!"

"_Yes! Yes!" _thought their mother. For once, Amaterasu wanted her daughter to convince Sasuke to do something. She wanted him to forget about the Tribe of the Moon.

"But, Sakura, I really think-"

"Are you gonna help or not?" Sasuke reluctantly jumped from his perch on the peak of their house and picked up one of the buckets. The two siblings then walked off toward the river to gather water that would be used to cook supper.

Meanwhile, Amaterasu was trying to figure out how to comfort Waka, who was greatly disturbed by their children's' newfound knowledge. His eyes were wider than usual and he was trembling. She started to reach for him but stopped. She was unsure of what the right thing to do was. Her mind was racing, as was his. Actions had to be taken, decisions had to be made. For their children to even know of the existence of the Moon Tribe was bad. Now, they could easily ask people around Nippon about the Tribe of the Moon.

Amaterasu moaned and buried her head in Waka's chest, frustrated and worried. "All our hard work… Gone…" Waka wrapped his arms around her.

"Ma cherie… Perhaps it was meant to be… Perhaps the gods want them to know of my past…" He sighed. "I guess I deserve it…" She nuzzled his neck with her nose, causing his heart to skip a beat.

"Don't ever say that you deserve to be punished. You didn't know… And it wasn't your fault…" They shared a passionate kiss and a warm embrace before having to break apart to avoid being caught by their children, who were returning from gathering water.

Amaterasu moved to look like she had been writing something on paper and Waka simply disappeared, probably teleporting off to think in sadness as horrible memories from years past were pulled up to the surface of his mind.

As Sasuke entered the house, he felt a strange aura, an air of uneasiness. His ears swiveled, trying to pick up any sounds that could clue him in to why this feeling had arisen. He sniffed, but smelled nothing new. Just his parents and Sakura. He sat the bucket down by the fire pit and walked back outside, leaving Sakura to be assigned another chore as part of her punishment. He would be punished too, oh yes. However, since he was younger and had never disobeyed before, they were more lenient on him, so he did not worry about whatever they would have him do after Sakura was done with her punishment.

He shifted to his wolf form and walked past the turnip garden, tended by an adult male named Mushi. Nearby, several brown dogs were playing; each a pup of the dog named Hayabusa, who had died of old age several years earlier and had been buried under the konohana tree that overlooked the village. The smallest of the dogs, Ita, turned and ran over to him. "Hey, Sasuke, guess what!"

"What?"

"Princess Fuse is having a competition to decide who are going to be the new Canine Warriors!"

"R-really?!" Sasuke wagged his tail and jumped up and down excitedly.

"Yeah! All canines are allowed to compete!"

"Awesome! I can compete, too! So, when is it?"

"The tournament begins in three months, so we have plenty of time to train!"

"Awesome!" Sasuke was happy, very happy. He could finally earn some respect! He and Ita began to playfully wrestle, excited by the news. Sasuke managed to pin Ita and was about to pretend to strike the finishing blow when a horrible noise echoed across the lands. He jumped off Ita and laid down, his ears in torment. He covered them, but to no avail. The other dogs in the village did the same, whimpering and howling for it to stop.

As quickly as it had come, the sound was gone. Sasuke stood up, but the other dogs did not. He looked around and gasped. Every living creature in sight had fallen down, as if knocked out by the sound. He sniffed Ita and was glad to find that he was alive.

Sasuke heard rapid footsteps and an image of his sister flashed through his mind. He instantly set off, his paws moving his body toward a goal known only to them. His mind seemed to go blank, save for the thought, _"RUN! Run this way!" _

Even if he had wanted to stop, he couldn't have. His paws carried him across Shinshu Fields, through Agata Forest, and over the drawbridge connecting Taka Pass to Ryoshima Coast. His ears caught sound of footsteps once more; his sister was catching up. As he neared the gates that served as the entrance to the Commoners' Quarters of Sei-an City, he regained control of his feet. He instantly stopped and investigated the fallen guards; they were knocked out as well.

"_This way…"_ a mysterious voice whispered. He lowered his head and walked into the city. Almost instantly, he was met with a loud howl resembling a call to the heavens. He raced past buildings and over bridges, and finally through a doorway to the Aristocratic Quarters' of the city. What he saw next was quite a shock.

"Raiden?"

"Hmm?" The black and red wolf dug his teeth into Gangan's neck, causing blood to spurt as the demon flailed wildly. As Gangan leaned to his right, Raiden released his grip and flipped forward, landing in front of Sasuke. "So, you were led here as well."

"Yeah, but who called for me?" asked the pup.

"Tall, dark, and squiggly over there did," answered Raiden, motioning over his shoulder at the dark green beast.

Gangan snarled and shifted his body, leaving no trace of the bite mark. "You stupid demon wolf! You aren't supposed to attack your own kind!" An alarm went off in Sasuke's head.

"You're a demon?!" Raiden shrugged.

"Kinda."

"What do you mean by-" he was interrupted by the same horrible sound that had knocked out the normal living creatures in the area. "Gaahh!!" He covered his ears and laid down. "Shut up!!" Raiden shook his head disapprovingly.

"Wimp." He turned and faced Gangan, who had extended large frills to circle his neck and intensify the horrific screeching. "Hey, big green blur, shut the heck up! You can't sing, and making yourself louder won't change that!"

Gangan stopped the screeching and retorted, "At least I know where my loyalties lie." Raiden snarled and jumped up, meaning to bite down on the monster's neck again. Gangan's body shifted, however, causing him to miss and slam into the ground. As Raiden recovered, Gangan shifted his focus to the cowering wolf pup before him. "Little mutt," he snarled, lunging at Sasuke.

"Kid, move!" Sasuke's eyes shot open as his body moved under its own command. Gangan's head smashed into the ground right behind his tail. However, it did not go back to join the rest of his body. Sasuke smirked and laughed a little.

"He's stuck." It was true. The monster's jaws had dug deep into the strong stone, and now his teeth were trapped in the ground. The rest of his body twisted and changed from smoke to a four-legged beast, to a serpent's body and so on, unable to find a way to break free. Gangan attempted to spread his frills and use a sonic boom to free himself, but alas, his frills could not move more than half an inch at most.

"Strike now!" Raiden shouted, racing forward to attack with his teeth and claws. Sasuke nodded and attacked determinately with his beads. Gangan hissed and growled as the attacks hit again and again; he could not shift his body to dodge, as he could not see what he was dodging. He raked his claws against the ground, digging up a portion of stone.

After a few handfuls, he was almost to freedom. Sasuke struck with his beads in an effort to stop anymore rock from being dug up, but ended up shattering what was left trapping Gangan.

"Pathetic whelp!" roared the beast, spreading his frills and powering up for an ear-shattering blast of sound.

"Move, idiot!" shouted Raiden.

"Huh?"

"Die!" cried Gangan as he unleashed his attack.

"No!" Raiden raced forward, quickly grabbed the back of Sasuke's neck, and leapt from the path of the attack. The blast ripped up a line of earth and stone and splintered a large portion of an unlucky house that happened to be in the line of fire.

Raiden released his grip on Sasuke and stood his ground, ready to fight. "Let's go, Gangan!" He raced forward and scratched at the demon's eyes, causing the monster to emit a horrible screeching howl. He fell back to the ground and was about to attack again when suddenly, a large gash appeared on Gangan's face. The demon shook his head as his body worked to repair the damage, with little success.

"Stupid bell-headed dragon-snake-wolf thing…" a feminine voice muttered as a red and white wolf began working its way over the pile of rubble left from Gangan's attack.

"It's about time you got here, Sakura!" Sasuke yelled cheerily.

"Yeah, yeah…" Sakura shook a bit of dust off of her fur and snorted her nose to clear it of powder. She then jumped down from the pile of debris and assumed a fighting position. "All right, it's time for the real fight to begin! Let's go, Bell-Boy!"


	8. The Downfall of the Moon Tribe

**Chapter 8: The Downfall of the Moon Tribe**

**A/N 1/20/10:** All right! Halfway through rewriting! Anyway, sorry about the info dump. -_-; It was necessary.

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"All right, it's time for the real fight to begin! Let's go, Bell-Boy!" Sakura roared, before charging at Gangan. She moved swiftly, dodging his snapping jaws and whacking him with her mirror right in his eye. He roared in pain and backed off to recover. She took this opportunity to Powerslash his face again. This time, the slash raked his eyes, blinding him.

Sasuke seized this opportunity to attack; his claws made a few scratches, but his beads did nothing. He landed on his feet and moved to Sakura's side. "I don't understand it. My attacks have no effect on him anymore, but yours seem to do tons of damage."

"I think it's the Brush Strokes. His body isn't solid, so physical attacks won't work, but since the Brush Strokes are god powers, they work really well against him." Sasuke cocked his head; why were his attacks no longer working?

"What am I supposed to do, Sakura?"

"If you can't use any Brush Strokes, then just stay out of the way and let me handle this." Sasuke's ears went flat against his head. He wanted to help, not stand on the sidelines and cheer. "Just go," commanded his sister. He lowered his head and tail and then walked away, feeling sad and angry that he was unable to help fight.

Meanwhile, Raiden growled and electricity began to crackle around his body. "Rakurai!" he roared, summoning a bolt of lightning. Gangan vainly tried to use sound waves to disrupt the electricity but to no avail. The attack struck the inside of his mouth, greatly damaging his throat and vocal chords. He shook his head and tried to attack with a screech, but found himself unable to. Sakura then used Powerslash repeatedly, until finally, Gangan's body began to fade away into nothingness.

"All right!" Sakura cheered, jumping excitedly. Sasuke wagged his tail and raced over to her.

"Nice job!" he barked. "Hey, Raiden, great work! And thanks for the clues!"

"Lunar Mountain…" muttered the demon wolf.

"Huh?" Sasuke's ears fell flat against his head.

"The answers you two seek… They are at Lunar Mountain…" Sakura's ears shot straight up.

"R-really?! How do you know?!" she asked quickly. Raiden did not answer. He simply turned and raced away. "C'mon, Sasuke! We gotta get to Lunar Mountain!"

"Aw, man… How many times will we hafta go there?"

"Come on!" she shouted, racing off toward the mountain. Sasuke yelped in surprise and followed suit. Their paws stirred up dust as they raced down the now familiar path to Lunar Mountain, and after only a few minutes of running, the tall mountain came into view.

The two siblings sped through doorway after doorway until they found themselves in the very chamber that Lord Orochi had resided in only days before. They stepped forward onto the crest on the floor, and continued walking until they were right in front of Raiden, who was standing in the large half moon circle.

"All right, Raiden, it's time to tell us just what the Moon Tribe is, and how you know so much about it!" Sasuke commanded. The larger black wolf sat down and flicked his tail absentmindedly. His ears were fully erect and his red eyes seemed to flicker with emotion. His lips parted, revealing his cream-colored fangs.

"Sit, and I shall tell you what I know. Just allow me to warn you beforehand. Once you know the truth, you can never go back to the way you were." The two siblings sat obediently.

"Why would we be that strongly affected?" Sakura asked, her curiosity getting the better of her.

"Because the past of the Moon Tribe is a part of your family history. In fact, your father is a member of the Tribe."

"What?!" the pups shouted in unison.

"It is true. He is a member of the Tribe of the Moon, and so am I."

"No way…" Sakura muttered in disbelief.

"Tell us… We need to know…" said Sasuke, his voice and expression solemn.

"As you wish," Raiden said before blinking, preparing himself to relive his past. "The downfall of the Moon Tribe is not one for the faint of heart. It is a horrific tale of greed, the greed of a corrupted leader and his council of Moon Warriors. It is a twisted story woven by years of jealousy and envy, desire for the powers of a god.

"The leader, Emperor Katsura-otoko, was a horrible ruler. He was the one who led the Tribe down the path to ruin. He forced his people to abandon their worship of the gods and focus all their time on creating scientific wonders, such as the Spirit Gate and the Gimmick Gear. Hardly anyone harvested food, and soon, people began to starve. Emperor Katsura-otoko assured everyone that it would be well worth the sacrifices and to go back to training their bodies to do things thought only to be available to the gods, and to create more and more items and passageways that upset the natural order of the universe.

"Finally, after years of work, the ultimate device was created. It was called the Lunar Trinity, but you know it as the Royal Crest of the Moon. Now, the Trinity could be used for different things, depending on its size. A small one could serve as a keypad, while a larger one could be used as a cage. The full sized one found here, in Lunar Mountain, takes three Moon Tribe members to activate. Once activated, it transfers the energy from whoever is standing in the middle of it to the one standing here, in the half moon marking. It can also serve as a teleporter, but only if activated from the original Trinity on the moon.

"Now, upon hearing of the Trinity's completion, the Emperor summoned his Moon Warriors to his side and commanded them to seek out a god and bring it back to be drained of its powers. His Warriors left and found a god, all right. They found Amaterasu." The two younger wolves let their jaws slide open in shock. Raiden resisted the urge to smirk and paused before continuing the story.

"The Warriors fought and fought and fought with all their might, but were still defeated and sent scurrying back home to the Emperor. This would not have been such a problem if it hadn't been for one of the Warriors. The thing was, he had told Amaterasu of their plan when they had cornered her, as he had thought that they would win and it would not matter if she knew. So, once she was able, Amaterasu wasted no time and warned the other gods of the Moon Tribe's actions.

"Emperor Katsura-otoko had been exposed as a horrible, plotting man who cared for no one but himself, and the Moon Tribe was now seen as a huge threat to the gods, and the natural order that kept chaos at bay. The gods took immediate action, sending monstrous storms and burning rain to the moon, destroying the once great civilization.

"Only a few escaped their wrath. I managed to get to the Trinity and teleport here, to Lunar Mountain. Since then, I have been hiding, fearful that I would be struck down at any second. Your father, Waka, was one of the others that managed to escape. He took the Ark of Yamato-a secret holding cell for Yami, who was on the list of those to be drained with the Lunar Trinity-and sailed to the Celestial Plains. I am unsure of why he was allowed to stay, but I am almost positive your mother had something to do with it. The last person I know of that survived was a baby that was put on a rocket ship and sent to the mortal plains. Unfortunately, I could never locate the child."

Upon the conclusion of the story, an eerie silence blanketed the area. Both pups were deep in thought, and Raiden seemed to be occupied with his surfaced memories. Finally, Sasuke broke the quiet.

"Raiden, you say that our father took the Ark to the Celestial Plains. How did it end up in this realm?"

"I am not sure. I wasn't there. All I know is that all the demons in the world came from that Ark."

"What?!" cried Sakura, her blue eyes wide.

"You didn't know?" asked Raiden. "Not just Yami resided there. The Ark was full of demons."

"So, its dad's fault that people everywhere are suffering…?" asked the white wolf, her bottom lip quivering.

"Pretty much." Sakura tried to fight back the tears but no avail.

She muttered, "I can't believe it… I can't believe that dad brought the demons to the mortal realm…" Sasuke was roused from his thoughts as an overpowering aura nearly pushed him to the floor. His eyes slightly widened as he realized it was the same one that had loomed over them for days. Unable to talk, Sasuke watched as Sakura growled and stood. "Just wait until I see him again! I'll shred his body to ribbons! I'll rip him to shreds! I'll-I'll-"

"I've got a better idea," Raiden smoothly interjected.

"Oh, really?" asked Sakura, her fangs bared. "What is it?"

"How about we take the Ark of Yamato and use it to get back to our home?" Sakura uncurled her lip and cocked her head.

"Why would we want to do that?"

"Just think about the powerful artifacts we could find! Not to mention we could look for others of our kind! Surely some of the survivors are still on the moon!"

Remembering another place from the tale, she asked, "What about the Celestial Plains?"

"Great idea! We could snoop around and listen in on the gods' conversations for clues!" _"Raiden's so confident... And his plan does sound good..."_ thought the white wolf.

She nodded and said, "Yeah, let's-oh, wait. The Ark is frozen in that huge lake in Kamui..."

"No problem! I know a way to unfreeze it!"

"H-how?!" Just then, a beautiful howl rang out. Sakura and Raiden looked, while Sasuke struggled to stand. The aura was so strong he could barely force himself into a sitting position. Sakura's ears flattened against her head in anger and her fangs glistened dangerously. In the doorway stood her mother and father, looking angry, yet concerned.

"Sakura, Sasuke, how dare you disobey me and come back here!" Sakura snarled and was about to snap out a reply when Raiden interrupted her.

"Sakura, go over to that crescent and stand in it," he whispered, motioning toward the marking on Amaterasu's front left. "Sasuke, you go to the other one." Sakura nodded and raced off to her designated marking, but Sasuke stayed where he was.

"Get moving, idiot!" The aura surged and he moved to his crescent, his thoughts scrambled and racing with the events of the last few days. As the three teammates perfectly lined themselves up in the markings, Amaterasu raced forward into the middle one, aiming to attack Raiden, as he seemed to be the one corrupting her pups.

The Lunar Trinity activated, glowing bright blue and sending up a field of energy in each of the moon phase markings. Amaterasu found herself unable to move another step and could only watch in horror as her Brush Stroke spirits left her body and one by one entered Raiden's. As the final stroke entered his body, the Trinity deactivated. Amaterasu collapsed, unable to find the energy to stand. Her markings were gone, as was her burning mirror.

Raiden let out a haunting howl before barking out, "Let's go! The Ark awaits!" He raced out, followed closely by Sakura. Sasuke felt his ears fall back against his head. He could not focus enough to decide. "Come on, Sasuke!" He whimpered before racing after his comrades, leaving his parents alone to recover.

"Ma cherie…" Waka whispered, jumping to her side and cuddling her body to his chest. She whimpered in pain but fought to be released. He obliged and watched as she slowly stood.

"We have to follow them…" she said, trying to feign strength she did not possess.

"I don't think I should…" said the prophet, looking away from her.

"Waka, stop letting your past pull you down. Perhaps it was meant to be. Perhaps everything up until now was meant to happen. Just focus on the fact that our two children are heading for the most dangerous places they could go." Waka stood, trembling, and nodded.

"You are right. I cannot allow this darkness to consume me anymore. I will live on, as those that have died would have wanted! Now, let's go get our pups!" Amaterasu barked in agreement and raced off, Waka close by her side.


	9. Freeing the Ark

**Chapter 9: Freeing the Ark**

**A/N 1/20/10:** We're nearly to the end of the Moon Tribe Arc! Only a few more chapters to revise and then I can begin writing new entries!

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"Sasuke, hurry up or we'll leave you behind!" Sakura shouted back to her brother, who was running almost ten feet behind herself and Raiden. Sasuke gulped and tried to close the gap, but his legs just would not oblige. They felt like they were made of lead, and it took all of his energy just to keep them moving.

"Forget him. He's not necessary to our mission," Raiden coldly stated. His words hurt Sasuke badly. He knew that he was not as strong as they were, nor as fast, but he could still be of some use, right?

The two lead wolves easily jumped up the cliff to the gate to Kamui. Sasuke tried to follow, but fell short with every leap. "S-Sakura! Could you give me a hand?" he stuttered, changing his focus from jumping to climbing. The white wolf sighed before drawing a line from a konohana flower to Sasuke. A vine shot out and pulled him onto the flower, which then dropped him on the cliff.

"Let's go, you two," said Raiden, pressing his paw to a small Lunar Trinity marking. The building before them glowed with blue markings as a door opened, revealing the way to Kamui. "Come on," he growled, motioning toward the open gate. The two siblings nodded and walked in, followed by Raiden.

Freezing wind. That was the first thing that the two pups sensed in the pitch black tunnel. The next was snowflakes, which danced across their noses, and made Sasuke sneeze. As the group neared the other end of the tunnel, the wind viciously picked up, causing their body temperatures to plummet. They emerged from the tunnel blind, and were forced to dig a ditch in the ground and hide in it to escape the brutal assault. The trio wiped their eyes clean of snow before setting off again, heading for Wep'keer, within which was the passage to the lake that housed the Ark of Yamato.

As they blazed through the village, an eerie calm overtook the land around them. The wind had suddenly stopped blowing, and the snow had stopped falling. Sakura tried to stop and take in her surroundings, but a dark look from Raiden kept her moving. A bad feeling was tingling down her spine, but she would choose to ignore it for now.

The door to Laochi Lake was open, so they did not have to break stride for even a moment. The pathway was worn and easy to run across; soon, they found themselves staring at the shrine housing the sacred sword, Kutone, and just past it in the lake of ice, the Ark of Yamato. Raiden moved forward toward the sword while his companions marveled at the sheer size of the Ark.

It was as tall as a mountain, despite being partially buried under ice, and seemed large enough to carry thousands of creatures the size of Lord Orochi, or even Kouryou. Its body was a pale grey with faded blue markings that reminded Sasuke of those back at Lunar Mountain and the gate they had used to enter Kamui.

"We're riding in that?" Sakura asked, motioning toward the ship with her paw.

"Of course," Raiden replied, examining Kutone.

Sasuke's ears perked and he asked, "What are you doing?"

"Oh, that's easy. I'm freeing the Ark," replied Raiden before smirking and drawing a symbol in the sky like the one that adorned his back hips. The drawing glowed bright red and dark clouds and purple smoke unfurled from behind it. The sun disappeared as the murky clouds took over the sky and robbed it of all life. Sakura and Sasuke watched in horrified silence as darkness blanketed the land, and a horrible cracking noise filled the air.

"Gah! What is that?!" Sakura shouted, looking around in fear.

"The ice," stated the demon wolf. Sasuke raced to the edge of the platform and watched as the ice that imprisoned the Ark cracked and shattered. The faded blue markings burst to life as the Ark took to the sky. Two elegant sails made of energy appeared, allowing it mobility. A door in the Ark's side opened, and a rainbow shot down from it to the ground, forming a path. "Well? Come on." Raiden was the first to start up the path, and was already halfway up it when Sakura joined him. Sasuke remained on the ground, unsure of what he should do. His mind was conflicted with thoughts of right and wrong, of which was more important, his parents or the answers Raiden promised them.

"Come on, Sasuke! We gotta hurry!" His ears flattened as he stepped onto the rainbow. He was trembling. Something in him was trying to hold him back. He managed to get a foot or two up the rainbow before a familiar presence beckoned him back. He looked back and gasped. His parents had managed to catch up, and were now staring in horror at the sight before them. "Oh, man! Hurry!" Sakura shouted from the door. She started to walk back down to help him but Raiden stopped her.

Sasuke raced up the rainbow, his mother already on her way across the snow-covered field toward the rainbow path. He gasped for air as he moved faster, wondering why the path seemed so much longer than it had looked. His eyes narrowed as he neared the open door. He leapt forward, expecting to fall inside the Ark, and was instantly repelled by a barrier. As he fell back from the force of it, the path disappeared and the door began to close, leaving him to fall into the icy waters below. His body splashed loudly and almost instantly, he was overtaken by the cold lake. He struggled to stay afloat but to no avail.

As he sank below the surface, a lily pad materialized under him, saving him from drowning. As he sat, cold and miserable, he watched the Ark sail off into the distance, its blue markings still visible from his perch.


	10. A Vision and The Moonlit Road

**Chapter 10: A Vision and The Moonlit Road**

**A/N 1/22/10: **Yet another chapter revised.^^

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Sasuke left his thoughts as a strong wind began to blow him and his lily pad perch toward the bank of Lake Laochi, on which stood his parents. As the lily pad touched ground, he jumped off and turned to face his mother. "I thought Raiden took your powers."

"He did…" said his mother, looking away from him.

"But you saved me. You-"

"Hey! Ammy didn't save your tail! I did!" A small green orb began bouncing up and down on Amaterasu's head. Sasuke leaned in and sniffed at the jumping orb.

"Uh, who are you?"

"The name's Issun the Wandering Artist!" cried the orb, which Sasuke realized was not an orb at all. It was a very small man…or a very big bug. Either one was possible.

The black wolf asked, "So, you know the Brush Strokes?"

"Of course I do!" said Issun as he posed proudly. "I **was** your mother's Celestial Envoy all those years ago!"

"Celestial Envoy…?" he wondered out loud.

"Grrr… Never mind that, kid. We've got more important things to think about! First off, where's the Ark going?! And second, who's drivin'?!" Sasuke's ears fell against his head. He looked to his paws, a bit ashamed of how far he and his sister had strayed.

"Raiden is driving and Sakura's with him."

"What?" asked Amaterasu, her eyes wide.

"Now, why'd she go with him?" asked Issun.

"He…he told us the truth… He told us about the Moon Tribe, the Moon Warriors, the Emperor…and you, Dad." Waka's eyes widened and he staggered backwards, his face paling in horror. "He told us how you took the Ark, and ended up bringing darkness to the lands."

"No…." his mother whispered in sadness.

"Sakura got mad and allowed Raiden to convince her to help him free the Ark and travel to the Celestial Plains and the Moon. I came as well, though I am not sure why."

"The Moon? What could possibly be there?" asked Issun.

"He didn't really tell us but Sakura still followed."

"Why didn't you follow him, kid?"

"I…I tried…but I hesitated, and then when I got to the door, a barrier stopped me and sent me falling into the lake. I'm not sure why I was not allowed onboard."

"I am," Issun said, crossing his arms confidently.

"You are?"

"Yeah. Your heart was full of doubt and an unwillingness to face your destiny."

"That…makes sense," said Sasuke.

"It does? Ah, I mean, of course it makes sense! Everything I say makes sense! I am a genius after all!" Issun began bouncing up and down again. Sasuke ignored him and turned his gaze to his father, who was looking worse by the second.

"You know…I don't believe in holding the past against someone," said the wolf. "The past is what a person used to be, and the present is what a person is now. I only look at a person's current actions to judge them; the past should not be held against someone. Time changes people, for better or worse."

"Well said, kid," said Issun.

"Thanks." Waka began to brighten up; the color was slowly returning to his face. Issun bounced a few times before jumping to Sasuke's head. He landed on Sasuke's nose and looked the wolf in the eyes.

"Alright, kid, I'm gonna ride around on you for now, 'cuz you seem to be the only one around who really knows what's happening."

"Fine, I-" Sasuke stopped midsentence and stood there, frozen. His eyes did not move, and he even appeared to stop breathing.

"Kid? K-kid?!" Issun jumped up and down in an effort to get the wolf's attention. "What's wrong, Sake?" Sasuke suddenly sprang to life, gasping and rapidly looking left and right.

"Are you okay?" his mother asked, obviously concerned.

"Y-yeah, and I know what we need to do," said the black wolf, determination evident in his voice.

"You do?!" Issun asked, bouncing once again.

"Yeah, follow me!" he barked before racing off toward Nippon.

"Where are we going?" his mother asked as she pulled up beside him.

"The place where this whole thing began, Lunar Mountain!"

"Figures…" she muttered back.

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"So, this is Lunar Mountain?" Issun asked, marveling at its size as they approached the large mountain.

"Yep." Sasuke walked the familiar path to the room he had stood in only an hour ago. Triangle-shaped markings seemed to point the way as they lit up one by one; he could not recall having seen them before, but then again, he had been rather distracted every other time he had been here. As he entered the large room and stepped on the Lunar Trinity, it glowed a faint blue.

Amaterasu stopped short of the Trinity. "I shouldn't. It might take what's left of me."

"It can't, Mom. It can only do that when activated by three members of the Moon Tribe." Amaterasu cautiously stepped onto the marking and breathed a sigh of relief as nothing happened. Meanwhile, Sasuke continued walking across the floor, stopping when he reached the wall opposite the door.

Issun looked at the wall curiously. "Whatcha thinkin', kid?"

"There's a special order I have to press these moons in," he replied, staring at a small version of the Lunar Trinity that was carved into the wall.

"How do ya know?"

"I had a vision," he stated before raising his paw and pressing the right crescent moon once, the left crescent twice, the right crescent once more, the half moon at the top once, and finally, the middle full moon once. The room suddenly burst to life as the markings covering it glowed bright blue.

"What the- What's goin' on?" The large Trinity in the middle of the room sent a beam of blue light up toward the top of the mountain. As the beam disappeared, the full moon in the center of the platform opened, and a blue and gray glaive floated out. It paused in midair for a moment before flying in a circle and landing on Sasuke's back.

"Are you okay, honey?" called Amaterasu, who was on guard, waiting for an attack.

"Y-yeah! I'm fine!" He glanced back at the glaive before turning and pressing a new combination into the marking on the wall. A whoosh of air sounded and slowly, the large Trinity behind him took to the air and floated, waiting for him to board. His mother and father leapt up onto it first. Then, he jumped up onto it and looked skyward as it took the four heroes to the mountain's peak.

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"Geez, the wind up here's really strong," said Issun as he struggled to keep from being blown off Sasuke's head. He looked around and saw nothing but open sky and the platform on which they stood. "Why'd we come up here, kid? We should be runnin' after the Ark."

"There's no way we could catch it just by chasing it on the ground. We'd have to cross rivers, climb mountains, and who knows what else? We came up here to take the shortcut." Issun held tighter to Sasuke's fur as another burst of wind buffeted them.

"A shortcut?" he asked.

"Yeah."

"I don't see anything," said the Poncle.

"But its there."

"How do ya know, kid?"

"I had a vision."

Issun began bouncing up and down angrily. "Oh, no, I am not gonna let you be another half-baked prophet! I'd rather-"

"Have I been wrong yet?!" snapped Sasuke.

"Well, no, but-"

"I had a vision at Lake Laochi that told me what to do. I was supposed to come here to Lunar Mountain, activate the Moonlit Road, and run on it until I reach the Ark." Issun stopped bouncing as the wind picked up once more. Amaterasu walked over to her son, fighting not to show her sadness for her child's gift from the gods.

"Where is the road?" she asked. To answer, he turned and headed for the edge of the mountain's peak, which only extended a little past the platform's end.

"Hey, kid, there's nothing there!" cried Issun, pulling back on the wolf's fur. Sasuke ignored him. "Kid!"

"Unlike you, Issun, I trust my visions, and, oddly enough, the technology of the Moon Tribe."

"Sasuke, wait!" shouted Amaterasu. He stepped forward, seemingly into the air, and did not fall. His paw landed on something solid, despite nothing being visible. He fully stepped off the mountain and did not fall. He appeared to be standing on air.

"I'm going to run down this path until I reach the Ark." Issun began jumping up and down on his head.

"But, kid, how'll ya tell when the Road has ended?"

"When I fall off." Sasuke then raced off with Issun holding on for dear life. Amaterasu turned to Waka, who had remained silent through this whole ordeal.

"Should we follow?"

"My prophecy told me yes, but I am still unsure."

"You have trusted every other prophecy you've had, as have I. Now is definitely not the time to start doubting them."

"You are right, ma cherie." Waka adjusted his hat. "Now, let's make haste. They've already got a large head start."


	11. Into the Ark

**Chapter 11: Into the Ark**

**A/N 1/24/10: **Another chapter revised.^^ To answer an unasked question, Amaterasu was sad that Sasuke has Waka's gift of prophecy because she knows the pain it caused Waka and how much pressure there is to interpret the prophecies correctly.

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"Are you sure that this Road'll get us to the Ark?" Issun asked, jumping up and down on Sasuke's head. Sasuke yawned and stopped walking.

"Yeah, I'm sure," mumbled the wolf, his ears laying flat.

"Then get moving! A half-hour of running isn't that tiring!"

Sasuke muttered, "Of course it isn't...if you ride on someone else's back the whole time."

"Hey, watch it, kid!" Sasuke rolled his eyes and began moving at a jogging pace. He must have traveled miles down the Moonlit Road by now, yet he had found no sign of the Ark. Its blue sails should have stood out against the murky sky and darkened lands, yet it seemed to be invisible, like the Moonlit Road. Letting out a sigh, he stopped and sat down.

"I don't get it. My vision showed me what to do. I've done what I was supposed to do, so where's the Ark?" Issun's glow shifted from green to yellow and he began bouncing in excitement.

"K-kid! Over there!" Sasuke's head shot up and his ears perked.

"The Ark!" He stood and began running. The Ark was heading right for the Moonlit Road; it would cross underneath, no doubt. He had to hurry, as it was going to meet the Road much farther ahead of him. A sudden burst of energy overtook him, and he soon found himself almost to where the Ark would cross.

"Kid, jump!" Sasuke nodded and leapt from the Moonlit Road onto the Ark's deck. He hit and slid a few feet before coming to a stop. "Perfect shot!"

"Thanks." He looked around the deck but saw no door. "How am I supposed to get in?" Issun jumped onto the Ark and bounced around before stopping and glowing yellow.

"Hey, I found something!" Sasuke walked over to him and examined the deck. He pushed a small piece sticking up, and found that three of the large planks melted together shifted upwards.

"A trapdoor?" He sniffed at it and upon finding no evil scent, started down the stairs that it concealed.

"Wait for me!" Issun bounced hurriedly after him, glowing bright green in the dimness of the stairwell.

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Amaterasu barked unhappily as she watched the Ark sail away. She had not been fast enough and had missed it. Her fur rustled slightly as Waka landed beside her. "Giving up already, ma cherie?"

"Unlike you, Waka, I cannot fly. My predicament is only complicated by my lack of Brush Strokes. I am currently no more powerful than a regular wolf."

"Hmm, perhaps in strength, but your intelligence and willpower are far more advanced than any normal wolf."

"A strong will cannot help here."

"Perhaps not, but I can." Waka drew his flute, Pillowtalk.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"Altering our current path a little bit." He played his signature series of notes that always marked his arrival. After a moment, the Moonlit Road began to tremble and shake. The whole Road seemed to be shifting direction. Amaterasu stood tall and stayed focused on Waka to avoid showing signs of fear. "There," he commented as the Road steadied.

"So, now we can catch up to the Ark?"

"Well, I could have anyway, but pretty much, yeah." Amaterasu barked excitedly and took off down the Road. Waka smiled and took to the air. "Looks like Full-Throttle Ammy's back."

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"Hey, Raiden," Sakura said, breaking the silence that had filled the air since they had entered the Ark.

"Yes?" he replied, not looking away from the control panel. He was standing on his back legs and using his large front paws to drive the Ark; his red eyes darted from screen to screen, as if scanning for something.

"Why do you want to go back to the Moon so badly? What could possibly be there that could've survived this long?"

"Now, Sakura, I am not the kind of man that likes sharing his feelings and explaining every movement to someone else. I have my reasons for wishing to return. Let's just leave it at that." His answer did not satisfy her curiosity, but she would accept it for now and move on to other questions.

"You seemed to know an awful lot about the Moon Warriors. Are you or are you not a Moon Warrior?" His lips curled back to reveal his cream teeth as he smiled wickedly.

"Would it matter either way? I am from a cursed tribe no matter what I say, aren't I?"

"Grr... It's a yes or no question, Rai!" His smiled widened. He looked up, as if lost in thought.

"Then my answer's yes."


	12. Confrontation and The New Brush Stroke

**Chapter 12: Confrontation and The New Brush Stroke**

**A/N 1/24/10:** So close to being finished with revising! Yay!

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"Yes, you are a Moon Warrior, or yes, you are not a Moon Warrior?" Raiden's ears swiveled toward the door before swiveling back toward the control panel.

"I'd gladly elaborate on my answer, but it seems that there are some stowaways onboard." Sakura stood, her white ears swiveling, straining to catch wind of the intruders.

"What? Who? Where?" she asked, looking around.

"Just give them a minute," he stated, not turning away from the control panel. Sure enough, exactly one minute from Raiden's statement, the door exploded in a blast of smoke and dust. Sakura jumped from the crate she stood atop to the floor below and turned toward the doorway, readying herself to fight.

"Raiden, prepare yourself!" a strong voice shouted as a familiar four-legged figure walked through the cloud of dust. Sakura's jaw slightly dropped.

"Sasuke?"

"Stand back, Sakura. I've come to stop this boat and bring you back home." Her eyes narrowed.

"But why?! I'm fine with where I'm going! I'm on my way to the truth!"

"Sakura... He's turned you away from your family, filled your head with tales of an evil Emperor, and had you help him rob your own mother of her powers. Do you honestly think he's the best wolf to follow?" Sakura's ears fell back against her head and she looked to the ground. Raiden turned away from the control panel and stood proudly on four legs.

"Nice speech there, Sake, but Sakkie has already made her choice. She wants to go to the Moon and the Celestial Plains, and that's exactly where I'm takin' her."

"Why? Why would she want to go there? You already told her about the Moon Tribe, so why would she want to leave the mortal plain and go with you to who-knows-where?"

"Let's see... Who cares? Who cares? Who cares?" mocked Raiden, sneering at the pup. Sasuke barked angrily in response.

"Why you~!!" shouted Issun. The Poncle bounced up and down, glowing bright red in anger. "You got a lotta nerve talkin' to the son of the great Amaterasu like that!" Raiden's eyes narrowed.

"What the-? Is that a flea?" He chucked heartily. "You brought a flea to help you bring Sakkie back?"

"Hey! Who you callin' a flea?! Why I oughta~!!"

"Come at me then. Unless, of course, you heroes are nothing but talk." Sasuke growled and raced forward at Raiden. He jumped up and attempted to attack with his beads, only to have them disappear in a flash of blue. Raiden used this opportunity to rake his claws across Sasuke's face and send him crashing into the wall. Sasuke shook himself off and snarled viciously. He jumped at Raiden again, this time using his new glaive to attack. It hit and sent red blood splattering onto the control panel and wall. "Little brat," Raiden muttered, using his claws to scratch Sasuke again. The two black wolves landed on their feet and began squaring off, neither attacking, just pacing in a circle.

"What's wrong? Scared?" asked Sasuke, taunting as best he could through his pain.

"I'm just thinkin' that we need some more room." Raiden etched a small Lunar Trinity into the floor with his electricity-charged claws. Before Sasuke could stop him, he pressed his paw to it, teleporting the four warriors to the deck of the ship. "There now. That's better." he said, looking to the murky skies above. The wind howled around them ferociously and inspired slight fear in the siblings. Issun burrowed into Sasuke's fur and held on tightly, as he had when he had been traveling with Amaterasu as her Celestial Envoy.

"Sakura, pick a side. We must fight, and only you can choose if it as allies or enemies." His sister walked over to his side and turned, baring her teeth at Raiden.

"I have chosen, Sasuke." Her mirror blazed silver and her markings glowed. "All right, Raiden, it's time to face up to what you've done! No longer shall you lead us astray! Today, you shall die!" Raiden bared his cream teeth warningly.

"Fine, but do not expect me to spare your lives. Just because you are the heroes of this story does not mean you cannot die." His eyes and markings began to glow red. Electricity crackled around his body and the skies above seemed to begin circling around the Ark in a funnel shape, slowly moving closer to the deck. "Brace yourselves, heroes, for this is it! Today is the day your story ends!"

Raiden raced forward and was met by Sakura. Their teeth ripped into each other, drawing blood. They broke apart and circled each other before jumping at each other again. This time, Sasuke moved forward, slicing with his glaive. Raiden grabbed it with his claws and pushed it away, sending Sasuke tumbling backwards. Sakura slammed her mirror into Raiden's head and was rewarded with a punch to the face. She hit the ground with a _THUD_ and did not get back up. "S-Sakura?" her brother called, taking his eyes off Raiden. The demonic wolf took this opportunity to headbutt Sasuke in the ribs. The strong bones cracked loudly as his skull hit. Sasuke yelped in pain and skidded across the deck. He started to stand but found himself unable.

"This is sad. I didn't even use any Brush Strokes, and yet, I am the victor already." His lips parted, showing his cream fangs once more. "Well, I guess that since you are the children of Amaterasu you have a small right to see a new Brush Stroke when it's created, right?" Raiden looked skyward, the markings on his hips glowing red. "Behold, the Demon Art Stroke!"

He drew his hips' marking on their foreheads. It burned into their flesh and sent hot pain through their bodies. They howled in pain as their world began to fade to dark.

"No..." Sasuke groaned before blacking out. His sister gave him a sorrowful look and then passed out as well.

"Well, it seems another lamb has come to the slaughter." Raiden turned his head toward the left side of the Ark. Almost instantly, a tall blond man dressed in purple and pink landed on the edge of the deck. "Oh, you're not a lamb. You're a prophet." Waka felt anger course through him as his eyes fell upon his motionless children. He drew his swords and prepared to fight. "It's kinda sad. You almost reached them in time, too." Waka's eyes widened.

"Don't tell me they're-"

"Dead? Well, I'm not entirely sure. I don't think they're dead yet, but then again, I've never used that power before." Waka raced forward, moving so fast he was almost invisible, and struck at Raiden, only to have his attack blocked. "Rakurai!" A lightning bolt struck Waka, causing him to yell in pain. He fell to his knees and exhaled heavily before standing. "Wow, you're out of shape, Waka Laka."

"Silence, Raiden."

"Although, I have **always** been stronger than you, now haven't I?" Waka attacked again and again, but only managed to successfully connect once, and that only produced a small scratch on Raiden's muzzle. "I wonder if this'll work on you..." Raiden drew his symbol on Waka, and snared the prophet like he had the wolves. Waka did not collapse as soon. In fact, he actually tried to fight. However, after a minute or two, he collapsed onto the deck as well. "Huh, it appears another lamb is coming. I do wish these fools would keep together. This is just ridiculous." He sat down and looked off toward the horizon, waiting. "This could be awhile. She seems to be moving rather slowly."

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"Huh?" Waka looked around him, unsure of what had just happened. He had been fighting Raiden and then... His memories ended there. He looked down and realized that he was in the Ark's control room. "Wait... According to these stats, we're part way between the Celestial Plains and the mortal realm. Huh, this is strange... We're heading for Kamui. This is just like-" Suddenly, the ship rocked violently and screams began to sound. "No..." Cries for help met his ears, and slowly, he realized **exactly** where he was. He was on the Ark, reliving the fateful day, the day the Ark crashed and the Celestials had been slaughtered, devoured by countless demons.

The control room's door was blown to shreds as a bull demon hit it, searching for food. Waka drew his swords and destroyed it before moving out into the hallway. He was not going to allow history to repeat itself. He would fight to the bitter end, determined to change the outcome of this fateful day.

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Sakura groaned and stood. She was in Shinshu Field, but she wasn't sure how she'd gotten there. The sky was dark and stars shone brightly around a crescent moon. Her ears perked as an eerie wind blew past. It wasn't what she heard that interested her, its what she wasn't hearing. No birds chirped, no crickets sung, and everything seemed lifeless. The only things that seemed full of life were herself and the sky above. _"Perhaps someone in the village could tell me something helpful."_ She raced down the familiar path into the village and stopped in her tracks as she looked around.

The entire village seemed dead. There were no scents, no sounds, no nothing. It was as if everyone had just disappeared. Every house she investigated was empty, and the radishes in the garden just seemed to be there. They had no real smell and gave off no vibe of life. Feeling a bit scared, she walked up the hill to Sakuya's tree and whimpered. The once-gallant guardian was withered and the usually bright blossoms were almost a light gray. No aura of life emanated from it, and, if anything, it seemed to be putting off a sickening aura.

"_I need to know how widespread this is."_ She turned and raced back down the path and up the other way toward the sun deck. Her paws made no noise as she walked onto the dark deck. She tried to shift to her human form but found she was unable. "Crap."

She stood on her back legs and gazed off of the deck to the horizon. This look around confirmed her suspicions. All of Nippon was tinted a light gray. She shifted back to standing on four legs. "I've got to search. There must be someone." She raced off in desperate search of any sign of life, her heart racing as fear pounded through her body.

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"Gaah!" Sasuke shouted in pain as he tried to stand. His ribs ached and cracked sickeningly with every movement. He bared his teeth angrily. "Curse you, Raiden... Curse you to the depths of the underworld!"

"_This way..." _called a strange voice. His expression softened and he glanced around.

"Huh?"

"_No! This way!" _called another voice.

"Who-who's there?" Suddenly, the area was alive with thousands of voices, each biding him to follow this way or another. "S-stop! I can't think!"

"_Hurry! Hurry! Follow me!"_

"_No, me!"_

"_Over here!"_

"_Trust me!"_

"_Come on, over here!"_ Sasuke set off, first to the left and then to the right. Soon, he was going in circles in an effort to find the one voice that spoke the truth in a sea of lies.

"Please! Stop talking for two seconds!" His pleas were ignored. "Please!" He whimpered. "Please,** I can't take this anymore!"**

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"So, the final lamb has arrived. Took you long enough. I've been waiting for almost ten minutes."

"You slimy, idiotic, impudent, power-hungry little snake. How dare you come into **my** lands, take **my **powers, and hurt **my **family." Raiden smirked evilly.

"You're so petty, Amaterasu. I mean, really. So, I came into Nippon. So what? It's a freeish land. And your powers really aren't that great. I don't get why you miss them. Now, on to your family. Hmm.... Okay, I'll give you that one. You can thank me later."

Amaterasu growled and raced forward, lunging for Raiden's throat. He easily dodged and sliced the left side of her neck with his claws.

"M-monst-"

"Shh...." he whispered, putting a single claw to his lips. "You'll wake the babies." He motioned to the three fallen heroes.

"No! My whole family!"

"Gone? Oh, not yet. But they will be **if** you do not free them in time."

"What?" asked the white wolf, her blood giving her new crimson markings.

"That's right, O Great One! If you do not free them before they give in to their nightmares, **they die.**" Amaterasu forced herself to stand confidently, ignoring the protest from her wound.

"What do I gotta do? Defeat you?"

"Maybe. Probably. Okay, I have no idea." She snarled and attacked, only to be pinned down to the deck. Raiden bared his fangs, threatening to finish her with one bite to the neck. "Don't do something stupid. You and I both know that you can't win."

"You'd be surprised what someone can do when their family is on the line." She kicked him off of her with her back legs. He landed without a sound and bit at her, only to miss. She sunk her teeth into his front left leg, only to have an icicle jab into her side. She released him, partially in shock, and shook herself off. "No, I won't give up. No matter what Stroke you use, I will survive." Raiden smiled wickedly.

"I love it when they fight."

"Shut up!"

"Powerslash!" The attack caught her off guard and created a gaping wound across part of her neck and right shoulder. As blood poured from the wound, she let out a single cry of pain. It echoed across the sky and fell upon the ears of a slumbering blond.

"A-Amaterasu!" Waka shouted in reply to the cry. He looked around him at the army of demons. "None of you are truly here, are you?" No response. He lowered his swords. "I should have known. How could I have fallen for this charade?" His eyes closed and opened slowly.

"Huh? I-I'm back!" He sat up. He was indeed back on the deck of the Ark. No demons surrounded him. However, he would have rather seen the demons than what he saw next. His wife was lying on the ground, a large wound bleeding heavily and dragging her toward unconsciousness.

"Waka...?" she whimpered. He raced to her side and placed a hand on her head, unsure of what to do.

"Aww.... Isn't that sweet?" Raiden snorted and took a few steps around the pair. He sat down and thought for a second before using Rejuvenation on Amaterasu's neck. Slowly, the wound healed and she stood. She stared at him, confusion evident on her face. "What? Didn't you know-oh, wait. Of course you didn't know Rejuvenation could heal. I created that side stroke, not you."

"I'll kill you..."

"Geez, ungrateful much?" Waka's eyes narrowed and he drew his swords.

"How dare you-"

"Yeah, yeah, I get it! Can we move on to the fighting already? I have a meeting in like two hours!" Waka and Amaterasu raced forward and began attacking in unison. As Raiden defended himself from Amaterasu, Waka struck, leaving a wound on his spine. "Grr..." Three cherry bombs appeared and exploded, distracting the Amaterasu.

"Let's rock, Pillowtalk!" His green sword pulsed with energy. He sliced at the black wolf again and again, missing only once.

"Inferno!" cried the demon wolf. Waka yelped in pain and surprise as his shirt was set ablaze.

"Hot! Hot! Hot!" Waka cried. Amaterasu raced forward and attacked, only to be pinned down again.

"Little help here, Dear?" called Waka.

"Kinda busy here!" shouted Amaterasu. Raiden chuckled and bared his teeth in her face before allowing her up. He then used Downpour to put Waka out.

"Huh?" Amaterasu gave him another confused look. Raiden turned his face toward the two wolf pups. His markings glowed red and slowly, they began to awake and stand. "What the-? What's he doing?"

"I'm not quite sure," answered Waka, moving to stand beside her. Sasuke and Sakura shook themselves off and looked around.

"What happened?" asked Sakura. Issun jumped up and down, glowing red.

"I'll tell you what happened! That jerk Raiden put us under some kind of spell!"

"Ah, man, it figures!" shouted Sasuke.

"Oh, don't act so surprised." Raiden smiled, exposing his cream fangs once again. "Now don't you go worrying about getting the Ark back to Lake Laochi. I've set it to return to the lake already. We should arrive in about an hour, at most."

Sasuke took a step forward, beginning to feel as he with the thousand voices. "But this doesn't make sense. Why would you go through all this just to give up? Why make us do all this just to let us go?"

Refusing to answer, Raiden walked past them all to stand alone before the horizon. Strands of sunlight began breaking through the dark clouds, erasing them. As the sunlight fell upon him, Raiden began to change. His wolf form faded away and in its place stood a tall, blond man dressed in dark purple and black. The bottom part of his waist-length hair was black, and his blue eyes sparkled brightly as the sun met them. The wind blew past with a refreshing scent, sending his hair flying behind him and causing it to glitter as if part of the sun itself.

"Prepare yourselves, heroes, for the real journey is just beginning." Issun growled, his anger boiling.

"**ENOUGH WITH THE CLICHES!!!"**

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**A/N 1/24/10: **And so ends the Moon Tribe Arc. I know this chapter's ending was quite confusing, but do not worry. Your questions will be answered as the story progresses. Really. Dragon's honor.


	13. Three Months Later

**Chapter 13: Three Months Later**

**A/N 1/24/10:** There has been a time skip since last chapter. The events of this chapter are occurring three months after the end of last chapter.

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**Three Months Later...**

"You know," said Amaterasu, "I've never heard of these 'Canine Trials' before. What about you, Waka?"

"Unfortunately, neither have I, mon cherie," replied the blond.

Issun bounced up and down a few times and asked, "Really? Neither of you guys have heard of the Trials?" He sighed. "Fine, I'll explain it to ya, but I'll only say it once, so you had better listen." He jumped onto a table and stared at the human and wolf before him. "Okay, the Canine Trials are a set of battles that serve to test different canines and see if they are worthy of becoming Canine Warriors. Since the last Canine Warrior died a few years back, Princess Fuse has been summoning the Power Orbs so that they can merge with the chosen ones at the end of the Trials. Now, I know it sounds strange, but the Trials are all about strength. Challengers must fight each other until eight are left. These final eight shall become the new Warriors."

Amaterasu cocked her head and said, "But I thought Canine Warriors had to be special. They had to have certain traits. Honor, loyalty, that kind of thing."

Issun folded his arms across his tiny chest and explained, "That's not really the case anymore. Princess Fuse is desperate, so the Orbs are not so picky. They will abide by the rules and merge with whoever wins, no matter how good or bad they are."

"Little Bouncing Friend, why do canines want to be Warriors anyway?"

"Oh, that's easy. Warriors have incredibly long lifespans. They are super strong, well-respected, and honored by all."

"So, the Orbs give them special powers?" Amaterasu asked.

"Pretty much, yeah," Issun said, shrugging.

"Interesting..." Waka said, placing a hand on his chin. Amaterasu glanced out the window at the sky, checking the time.

"Honey, I think we should leave now if we want to see our pups before tomorrow." Waka nodded and stood. Issun jumped onto Amaterasu's head.

"All right, let's go, Ammy!" Amaterasu raced off, followed closely by her husband. They raced across the lands and reached Kusa Village a little after noon. They walked into the village, unsure of what to expect.

"Whoa. That is a lot of dogs," commented Issun. Amaterasu nodded in agreement. Everywhere one looked, a dog ran past. They gingerly headed for the home of Princess Fuse, careful to avoid stepping in what the dogs were leaving behind. As they neared the house, they noticed a large commotion. They pushed their way through the crowd and realized it was a fight everyone was watching.

A small brown dog that Amaterasu recognized as Ita was standing across from a large blue wolf with a light blue and black mask covering it muzzle and its brow. Ita growled and raced forward, grabbing the wolf's neck, only to be sent sky-high by the wolf with a simple shake of its head. He landed on his feet and tried again; this time, his feet were frozen to the ground. As he tried in vain to move his legs, the blue wolf moved near and prepared to finish him. "Enough, Icicle," a female voice whispered, so faint only a few could hear. The blue wolf stepped away from Ita and slowly, the ice cracked and melted away. The blue wolf, now known as Icicle, then walked away, not making a sound.

"Ita, are you okay?" Sasuke asked, emerging from the dissipating crowd. The little brown dog nodded.

"Uh, yeah, just a little tired. And cold," he replied, shaking himself off.

"So, why were you two fighting?" Amaterasu asked.

"I'm not really sure. He just suddenly challenged me out of nowhere," said Ita.

"Challenged?" Sasuke asked, cocking his head.

"Well, he attacked me. That's a challenge, right?" Ita asked, slightly unsure of himself.

"Kind of," Amaterasu said.

Suddenly, someone asked loudly, "Would all contestants please gather in front of Princess Fuse's mansion? I repeat-would all contests please gather in front of Princess Fuse's mansion?" The group-Sasuke, Ita, Amaterasu, Waka, and Issun-walked to the named location, Sakura joining them shortly. After a few minutes, Princess Fuse exited her house and stepped up onto a rock that allowed her to see the whole crowd that had gathered, contestants and onlookers alike.

"Is everyone here? Good. Now, you all know why we are here: to choose the eight new Canine Warriors!" Most everyone cheered at this, and those that couldn't barked. "Now, the Trials start tomorrow, and I have gathered you here today to tell you all the rules. Follow them closely, for anyone caught breaking them will be disqualified.

"Rule Number One: No fighting outside of a match." Ita gulped; he had broken that one only minutes before. "Rule Number Two: No killing your opponent." Sasuke was thankful for that rule. "Rule Number Three: No using other contestants or onlookers for shields." A short-muzzled dog with a blue mark on his flank bared his fangs in annoyance. "Rule Number Four: One-on-One matches only. No ganging up on other competitors." A burnt-orange colored dog bared his fangs as well in response to this rule. "And finally, Divine Instruments and Techniques are allowed, so if you have any, use them!" Sasuke's tail wagged a few times; he could use his new glaive! "Now, use the rest of today to polish your skills for tomorrow!"

Each competitor's face became solemn, focused on the battles they would face tomorrow. Each had their own reasons for coming, and each was just as determined to win.

Ita: "_I must live up to my father's legacy."_

Sasuke: "_I will earn their respect."_

Icicle: "_I must follow orders."_

Magnus: "_My strength shall triumph over evil!"_

Maverick: "_These idiots have no chance against Red Dog."_

Sharktooth: "_I'll rip these fools apart with my bare teeth!"_

Whitetail: "_My graceful legs shall carry me to victory."_

Haku: "_I cannot disappoint my brother."_

Kaze: "_Like the wind topples a tree, I, too, shall defeat my foes."_

Red Dog: "_Forget the rules; my gang'll destroy you all and stand victorious."_

Thyl: "_I hope I'll have time to play before my fight."_

Raiden: "_I cannot forget my orders."_

Henya: "_I will fight honorably, and pray I do not lose."_

Lan: "_I'll fight my way through you all and become the first female Canine Warrior!"_

Waggles: "_I can't wait to-oh, look! A leaf!"_

Granlas: "_Bah! These flimsy idiots will have no chance against me or Red Dog!"_

Kadaver: "_I'll slice and dice you all and lead Red Dog's crew to victory!"_

Goose: "_You'll wish you were dead when I'm through with you!"_

Moonbeam: "_I will retrieve an orb as commanded."_

Crescent: "_Heh, I'll easily complete my mission if this is the competition!"_

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**A/N 1/24/10: **Yes, those were the thoughts of each competitor. I labeled them as I did to prevent confusion and because **I** couldn't even tell who was thinking what at a point.


	14. The Trials

**Chapter 14: The Trials**

**A/N: 1/25/10:** Yay, I'm done revising! Now I can write new chapters!

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"_Wow, Whitetail's so nimble. It's like watching a deer. And Haku...he's really determined to win. He just keeps going, even though he's taken a lot of hits." _Sasuke winced as the final blow was struck. _ "Oh! Poor Haku... Well, one of them had to lose,"_ thought Sasuke as the first battle of the day came to an end.

"Winner: Whitetail!" Princess Fuse called. The two opponents bowed their heads respectfully to each other before merging back into the crowd around the fighting grounds-the land outside of Princess Fuse's house. "Our next competitors are..."she said, reaching into a box of paper slips that each had a different challenger's name on it.

Finally, she pulled two out. "Magnus and Sharktooth!" A tall Great Dane with chestnut-colored fur stepped onto the field.

"Magnus, reporting for duty!" the Dane shouted, standing up straight. Then, a vicious-looking mutt with a short snout and long teeth stepped onto the field. A blue symbol was painted onto his left flank.

"Sharktooth, ready to rumble!" he yelled, his expression mimicking a crazed demon Sasuke had seen painted on a scroll.

"Fight!" The two dogs raced at each other and met in midjump. Their jaws clacked and snapped as Magnus pinned the smaller dog to the ground. As Magnus lowered his head to Sharktooth's neck, Sharktooth lashed out with his right leg, knocking Magnus' leg out from under him. The large dog toppled over and Sharktooth quickly stood and dug his teeth into Magnus' throat.

The Great Dane yelped in pain, but fought his way into a standing position and headbutted the smaller dog, sending him crashing into the crowd, who moved out of the way of the fight. Sharktooth raced forward, aiming to sink his teeth into Magnus again, but was sent flying by the injured dog. He hit the ground hard and skidded before collapsing, motionless. After two minutes of nothing, a medic checked his pulse.

"He's alive; just knocked out!" he called, picking the dog up and carrying him away.

"Then the winner is: Magnus!" Magnus smiled before following the medic to be treated for his wound. "Next up: Raiden and Red Dog!" A large, burnt-orange-colored dog that resembled a dingo stepped onto the field, as did the black and red Raiden.

"Red Dog, ready to kill!"

"Thunder Demon Raiden, ready to kill!" called the smirking wolf, mocking the dog's battle cry.

"Fight!"

Red Dog raced forward at Raiden, who simply smiled and shouted, "Rakurai!" Instantly, a lightning bolt shot down from the sky and struck his foe. Red Dog collapsed as the bolt faded away, a few stray sparks crackling over his fur. Another medic gingerly approached the seemingly-dead dog and after the electricity had dissipated, he checked his pulse.

"He's alive, but just barely!" He then picked up the dog and carried him away to be treated. Kaze, Granlas, Goose, Maverick, and Kadaver's faces were painted with shock. Had their leader truly been defeated that easily?

"Winner: Raiden!" She pulled out two more names. "Up next: Sasuke and Icicle!" Sasuke looked up in shock. He was going to be fighting that blue wolf?! He gingerly stepped onto the field, his confidence fading as his opponent entered the area.

"Sasuke, ready to go!" he shouted, his voice wavering.

"Icicle, following orders," the masked wolf said. Sasuke's ears flattened; his opponent's lack of emotion frightened him more than Sharktooth's insane expression.

"Ready? Fight!" Sasuke circled around and attacked Icicle's left side, only to be hit with a wall of ice. He picked himself up and looked, amazed, as Icicle walked up to the top of the slanting, frozen hill and jumped down, summoning icicles to fly ahead and attack. Sasuke shattered them with one swipe of his glaive and quickly tackled Icicle, pinning him to the ground. Their jaws snapped loudly before something cold crept halfway up Sasuke's back legs. He glanced back and gasped. His legs were frozen in ice!

"You never had a chance," Icicle said coldly as he moved out from under Sasuke and slammed the left side of his head into Sasuke's. A sickening crack sounded and the black wolf toppled over, the ice melting away to allow him to fall. He did not move after hitting the ground and the medic later confirmed that he was out cold.

"Winner: Icicle!"

"Aw...." Amaterasu whined, laying her ears back against her head. Ita began trembling. How could he possibly win? He had not even been as good as Sasuke!

"Next: Maverick and Kadaver!" The battle went by quickly, Maverick defeating his packmate in three moves. "Winner: Maverick! Next up: Henya and Lan!" Henya defeated his female opponent, but not easily. She would've won if not for her slipping on a single remaining patch of ice from Icicle's battle. "Winner: Henya! Up next: Goose and Moonbeam!" A strange, blue colored wolf with winglike markings on its shoulders stepped onto the field. A yin-yang symbol consisting of two shades of blue decorated its back left hip. A gold earring was stuck high up in its left ear, and its eyes were crystal blue with no pupil.

The blue wolf said, "Moonbeam, here to illuminate the darkness." A small, scrawny black and white terrier entered opposite her.

"Goose, ready to win!"

"Fight!" Goose circled around and snapped at her back right foot, only to have her kick him in the face. He skittered across the ground and tried the attack again, with the same result. This time he stayed down. "Winner: Moonbeam!"

"Pathetic..." muttered the blue wolf. A purple wolf in the crowd nodded in agreement.

"Next up: Waggles vs Thyl!" The fight dragged on for awhile, as Waggles kept running off after butterflies, but finally, he defeated Thyl. "Winner: Waggles!"

By now, the sun was low in the sky. A slight chill was overtaking the land.

"Our next fighters: Crescent and Kaze!" Ita gasped as a dark purple wolf, as mysterious-looking as Moonbeam, walked into the area. Its eyes were pure yellow with no pupil and a bright purple circle was painted on its back hips; within the circle was a yellow crescent moon, as yellow as its eyes. The same bright purple color as the circle ran down the top of its tail to the tip and almost started curving back down the bottom.

Opposite the purple wolf entered a bright red dog; he appeared to have been dipped from head to toe in red paint and had then had blue and black markings painted on various parts of his body. His brown eyes narrowed defiantly and he readied himself to fight.

"Crescent, here to beat your tail," said the purple wolf.

"Kaze, warrior of the wind, ready to win!" shouted the painted dog.

"Fight!" Neither warrior moved. They locked eyes and exchanged glares for a few minutes before finally squaring off, neither attacking. A sinister grin marked Crescent's face, while a focused snarl marked Kaze's.

"Wind blade!" he suddenly shouted, sending a blast of wind at her. Without flinching, she swiped her right paw and diverted the blast; it shattered a rock nearby instead of hitting her. "Wind storm!" he shouted, sending a tornado at her. Crescent flicked her head lightly upwards, destroying the attack. "Grrr.... Divine winds!" The winds in the village picked up speed. The windmill high above them began turning frantically. The wind wrapped around him, forming a wolf shape made of barely-visible wind. "Take this, Crescent!!" he shouted, passing by her, slashing as he moved.

His attack had hit. He could feel it!

He stopped moving a few feet past her and allowed the wind to disperse. "Heh. I-" he was cut off as a sharp pain panged in his chest. He looked down and realized he was bleeding. "Wha-?" He collapsed. Crescent smiled evilly as her opponent fell to the ground.

"Winner: Crescent!" Ita gulped. He was next. "Our final competitors are: Ita and Granlas!" Ita stepped onto the field, shaking and trembling in fear. He was gonna lose. How could he possibly win? He had no chance. He was gonna disappoint everyone!

"Ha. If I'd known I was gonna be fightin' a short-stack like you, I woulda spent more time foolin' around with Kaze instead of wastin' my time trainin'," said a tall German Shepard with black and brown fur as he entered the area. Ita groaned. He was gonna die!

"Ready? Fight!" The German Shepard raced at him, snapping his jaws, but Ita dodged his fangs and bit his foe's back left leg. The bigger dog yelped in pain before stamping his paw, knocking Ita away. The small brown dog quickly got back up and raced around his foe, using his speed to his advantage. Stopping in from of a medium-sized rock near the pond, he waited for his enemy.

"Come get me, Granlas!" he taunted, daring himself as well as his opponent. The bigger dog snarled and leapt at him. Ita dodged, causing the bigger dog to smash into the rock. Granlas shakily stood after a few moments and growled loudly before pursuing his foe. Ita smiled, feeling his confidence grow. His opponent's speed was no match for his! He easily dodged his foe's every attack before daring to headbutt the German Shepard. Both of their heads cracked, but Granlas was the one who collapsed.

"Winner: Ita!" His jaw dropped. Had he truly just won? He barked happily before turning his attention to Princess Fuse, who appeared to want to speak. "Now that there are only ten of you left, we are ready for tomorrow's battle. It will be a free-for-all where the first two canines to be knocked out are out of the game and those eight that are left are the new Canine Warriors. If, somehow, more than two are knocked out at the same time, then those knocked out will fight in another battle until all eight spots are filled. Now, please go get some rest and prepare for tomorrow! It will be a hard battle!"

Ita: "_I can't believe I did it!"_

Icicle: "_Earth, wind, sea, ice, lend me your powers!"_

Raiden: "_Bah. These battles are child's play."_

Magnus: "_I will not lose!"_

Maverick: "_I can't let Red Dog down. Wait. Why should I serve him? I'm here and he's not."_

Henya: "_I'll never give in!"_

Whitetail: "_They are no match for my grace."_

Moonbeam: "_My mission is going well. __**He**__ shall be pleased." _

Crescent: "_I rather liked that wind technique... It almost made a mark on me."_

Waggles:_ Oh, boy! Another butterfly!" _

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**A/N 1/25/10:** We're nearly through the Canine Trial Arc! Yay! Just hang on for the ride, Readers, for it will be worth it once we reach this story's end!


	15. The New Warriors

**Chapter Fifteen: The New Warriors**

**A/N 1/25/10: **Yes, finally a new chapter. Sorry for the wait. I will try to get at least one chapter out per week from now on.

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"Good morning, everyone!" Princess Fuse shouted, excitement evident in her voice. The crowd cheered loudly, as they had the first day of the Trials. Those fighting today were tense and nervous; well, most of them were, anyway. The losers from the day before were looking glum, and a few had even left after they had recovered from their fight. Sasuke had been quite surprised to see Red Dog and his pack leave during the night. He had thought they would at least stay to support Maverick. _"Ah, well, at least Kaze is still here for him."_ Sasuke thought, watching the red dog help Maverick psych up for the fight ahead.

"Sasuke, I'm scared..." Ita whined, causing Sasuke to look down at him.

"Why? You beat Granlas with no problem!"

"But Icicle is probably gonna freeze me as soon as we start, and if he doesn't get me, Crescent or Moonbeam will!" the brown dog whimpered, his confidence from yesterday gone with the wind.

"Listen, just use your small size and speed to dodge and wait for them to knock some of the others out," he said, trying to sound wise. It appeared to work. Ita nodded and stood up straight.

"Right. I'll do my best and beat the rest!"

"Final Ten, step onto the field! The battle is about to commence!" Each canine did as told and moved onto the field, eventually forming a circle. "Remember: You can do just about anything except hide behind the audience or call in back-up from outside the Final Ten! Now, fight!"

"Icicle..." whispered Crescent. The blue wolf nodded and sent out a wave of ice. The seven canines in its path dodged it and Raiden instinctively responded with a lightning bolt. It split the ice in half and struck Icicle, who collapsed.

"_Is he...?"_ wondered Sasuke. He was answered as the wolf shakily stood and snarled. The blue wolf summoned a trio of icicles and sent them at Raiden, who destroyed them with a small blast of electricity. All of the other fighters stayed well out of the way as the two wolves raced at each other and viciously bit and nipped each other, their angers boiling. Raiden slashed with his claws and Icicle began freezing his foe with ice. As Raiden sent a strong jolt through Icicle's body, the blue wolf headbutted him. Their heads cracked loudly and Icicle's mask even cracked a bit above his eyes. An eerie silence passed over the land and everything seemed to stop.

"Idiot," Crescent said matter-of-factly, breaking the spell. Icicle groaned and fell over on his side, knocked out cold. Raiden fell onto his back and flailed his legs a few times before giving up on trying to stand. His back was frozen solid to the ground.

"Little help? Anyone?" he called. Crescent walked over to him and shattered the ice in one swipe, freeing him. He stood and smiled at her, only to be punched in the face. He collapsed and did not get back up.

"I believe the game is over," Crescent said, looking to Princess Fuse. The princess shook off her shock and nodded.

"Raiden and Icicle are out! That means that the Trials are over! Our new Canine Warriors are: Ita, Magnus, Maverick, Whitetail, Waggles, Henya, Moonbeam, and Crescent!" Everyone's faces displayed absolute shock. They had been expecting a longer fight, and Icicle and Raiden had been the top bets to win! How could they have lost that easily? Had the fight been rigged or something? The audience was in an uproar, accusations and theories being thrown back and forth between observers.

"Umm... Could the crowd please quiet so I can present the Orbs to their new owners?" The crowd ignored Princess Fuse.

"Hey! Shut up so the pretty lady can do her job!!" rang Issun's voice. Everyone silenced and slowly turned their attention back to Princess Fuse.

"Thank you, Issun," she said, smiling.

"No problem!" he replied, bouncing up and down on Amaterasu's head.

Sakura glared at him and muttered, "Idiot..."

"Magnus, please take the Orb of Justice, Jin." The named Orb appeared and circled around the dog before melding into his body, a bandana materializing around his neck. "Moonbeam, the Orb of Knowledge, Chi, is yours." The Orb did the same as Magnus' had. "Henya, take Rei, the Orb of Honor. Whitetail, the Orb of Faith, Shin, is yours. Maverick, Tei, the Brotherhood Orb, is yours. Waggles, allow the Orb of Wisdom, Ko, to be your guide. Gi, the Orb of Duty, is yours, Crescent. And finally, Ita, the honorable Orb of Loyalty, Chu, is yours." As each canine tugged or pulled at their new bandana, the crowd cheered, feeling the atmosphere lift to one of joy.

Ita looked down at his Orb with pride. It was the same one his father had once possessed. Throwing his head back, he let out a loud howl, and soon the other Warriors joined in. Their Orbs seemed to respond to the noise and began glowing brightly. Power coursed through each of them, strengthening them, uniting them. They were now bound at the soul, whether they wanted to be or not.

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Later, once night had fallen, Ita found himself pacing up and down past the beds of his teammates. They were all expected to stay at Princess Fuse's when not on a mission, and he was honestly a bit freaked out. He was away from home in a strange new village without any of his friends. _"I'm nearly jumping outta my skull here!"_ he thought, letting out a whimper.

"Man, get to sleep," Maverick groaned, covering his face with his paw. Ita sheepishly smiled.

"Sorry..."

"Shh!" rang out three voices in unison. His ears flattened against his head and he moved toward the door. He wondered, _"Why'd they put my bed right next to the door?"_ His eyes widened as he neared his mat. The two beds closest to it were empty, and the door had been left partway open. He could not believe no one had noticed. He started to close it, but stopped as he heard voices. Intrigued, he opened it a bit wider and stepped out into the crisp night air. He padded down the steps toward the pond, stopping when he came upon those conversing. He ducked down behind a rock, thanking his lucky stars for his small size, and peeked around the rock to see who was talking.

"_Raiden and Crescent? What're they doin' out here, and where's the other-"_

"Crescent," called Moonbeam as she jumped from a tall rock wall to the ground, "now would be the best time to take the other Orbs and go. Do you not agree?" The purple wolf smiled and nodded.

"Yes, we should complete our mission now."

"No," said Raiden, "we should let the Orbs fully awaken within their new owners before we take them." Crescent bared her fangs in annoyance.

"Why should we? Our mission was to bring our leader the Orbs as soon as possible!"

"Ah, but what use are Orbs that are not fully powered? They will only unleash their true potential in those they have chosen. I say let the Canine Warriors run again. When the time comes, we can easily destroy them." Crescent scoffed and swished her tail.

"You're only saying that because you lost your chance at an Orb."

"Do not forget that your protégé lost as well."

"Yeah, after you electrocuted him!" Moonbeam simply sat back and watched as the two wolves began to nip at each other, fangs bared and blood splattering in the moonlight. "Stupid demon!"

"Foolish wench!" Ita cowered behind the rock, realizing that if he were found out he would most certainly die.

"Enough," said Moonbeam, surprising her companions. "I have had a vision. We will leave the Orbs here for now and move on with our plans. I shall go ahead with Icicle. I trust you will follow shortly, Crescent?"

"All right…" muttered the purple wolf, turning away from Raiden. A few cuts marked her legs and a bite mark marred her shoulder. "But next time, Raiden, perhaps you should use the Brush Strokes instead of your stupid demon powers!" The black wolf smirked and watched as the two females disappeared into the night.

"It wouldn't be any fun if I started off at full strength. A fight's only good when your opponent truly thinks they can win."

In one swish of an invisible brush, two trees and the rock Ita hid behind split in half and collapsed. Raiden let out a long wicked laugh and disappeared from Ita's sight in a flash of lightning and a rumble of thunder.

"Oh, kami…" mumbled the small dog as he blacked out from fright.


	16. Delivery

**Chapter Sixteen: Delivery**

**A/N 1/26/10:** Yes, the start of a new Arc! We've been through the Moon Tribe Arc and Canine Trials Arc. Now, we enter the Oina Arc!

I'm getting too excited over this… It makes me sound so unprofessional… -_-;

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"Are you two sure you can do this?"

"Yes, Mom, we're sure," answered Sakura, her ears flat against her head in annoyance. "All we do is take these jars of paint up to Chief Samickle in Kamui. Then, we come back." Her mother nodded.

"Yes, but remember, do not enter Yoshpet. Stay on the path; do not stop until you are in the village. Despite my and Waka's best efforts, demons still roam these lands."

"We're sure we can do this, Mom."

They were repeating this conversation for the fifteenth time that day, but Sasuke did not mind, for he had zoned out quite a while earlier by staring out the window at nothing in particular. He was reflecting yet again on past events. _ "Crescent, Moonbeam, and Raiden? Working together? But why?"_ His eyes narrowed slightly and he shifted to watching a butterfly flutter up toward the sky. _ "Why couldn't Ita have heard more? Though, I suppose there was nothing more to hear than what he told me yesterday..."_ He glanced at the large jars of paint, wondering just how he and his sister were supposed to carry them. _"I bet even Mom at full power would have had trouble carting those jars around, and __**we're**__ expected to carry them to Kamui? I know the Oina need to refresh the paint on their masks, but can't they wait until Dad gets back from Sei-an City?"_

"All right. Ready, Sasuke?"

"Huh?" His sister glared at him, silently warning him not to make their mother think he had not been paying attention. "Ah, yes! Of course!" He sprang from his seat, his fur rustling as a breeze blew through the window.

"Please, be careful," urged Amaterasu as she helped them load the jars of paint onto their backs. "Grrr.... This would be a lot easier if I could shift to human form!" Finally, after much frustration, the last strap slid into place and the pups were able to set off toward Kamui. They were unable to run, but they managed a steady walk.

"Sakura, do you think Raiden's going to come after us again?"

"I doubt it. We don't have anything he wants." She used Vine on a Konohana blossom, pulling herself up onto the hill. She repeated this with Sasuke, who felt sick as he remembered how easily they had followed Raiden down this same path. He shook his head, refusing to let himself be the weakling.

"Come on," he said, pushing the Lunar Trinity. The building's markings glowed blue and loud mechanical clanking sounded. Then, a door opened. Sasuke forced his legs to stop trembling and stepped into the dark tunnel.

"Hey, wait up!" she called. The door slammed shut as the duo walked out into the freezing lands of Kamui. "Ugh… Was it this suffocating last time?"

"_She can't tell its an aura, can she?"_ he wondered. Sasuke raised his nose to the sky, looking for the source of the dark aura. He could hear nothing but the wind and could see nothing but snow. He lowered his head. "We've gotta keep moving. Something's going on."

"Right." They bounded through the snowdrifts, fear giving them new energy. The two pups could barely feel the jars of paint upon their backs. In fact, they could not feel them at all.

"S-Sakura, wait!" The duo slammed to a stop.

"What?"

"The paint jars! They're gone!" Sakura looked herself over, then let out an enraged howl.

"This makes no sense! Gah!" She turned and sped off back the way they had come, her brother at her heels.

"Here. This is where we started running," said Sasuke, sliding to a stop. "See? Our footprints are different and they don't sink as deep because nothing was weighing us down." His sister nodded and began sniffing the ground.

"There's a strange smell here. It smells familiar, though…"

"Raiden?" Sakura shook her head and brushed some snow from her nose.

"No, he smells much different. This smells more like-"

"Icicle."

"Yeah, that's it!" Sasuke slowly raised his leg and pointed with his paw.

"No. **Icicle.**" She followed his gaze and gasped. Up on a tall wall of ice and snow stood a teenage boy with long blue hair that indeed matched Icicle's fur color. More recognizable than that, though, was the blue and black wolf mask that covered his face. Its long muzzle mixed with its dark markings gave him quite a sinister look.

"Oh, crap. Look beside him." Indeed, next to the teen stood the jars of paint the two pups sought. Sasuke growled and stepped forward, his glaive materializing upon his back.

"Give those back, Icicle!" The teen drew a sword with one hand and slung the jars onto his back with the other. He leapt from his perch and landed beside the black wolf. The silver sword glinted as its wielder swung, just missing Sasuke. Sasuke retaliated by swinging his own glaive, but Icicle was already running off by then.

"Get back here!" shouted Sakura, racing after him. Her mirror appeared on her back in a flash of silver. "Idiot!" She attacked with the reflector, but he blocked it with his arm. Then, a barrage of ice pieces hit her and knocked her away.

Sasuke opened his jaws and bit at their foe's back, but a wall of ice sprang up from the ground, blocking him. Yelling in anger, he shattered it with one hit from his glaive. The duo looked around but saw no sign of Icicle.

"He got away..." muttered Sasuke, his fangs bared.

"I bet he's somewhere in Wep'keer," said Sakura. "See?" She pointed at a short totem pole. "We're almost there, and only a fool would run elsewhere in this frozen land." Sasuke nodded.

"You're right, Sakkie."

"That's Sakura!" Her brother ignored her and raced off. She ran after him, her back paws creating a shower of snow as she moved.

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As the duo entered Wep'keer, their paws slid on the large ice patch at its entrance. Sakura kept her footing well enough to prevent a fall, but Sasuke slid forward and smashed into a snowbank. "Ugh..." He pulled himself free and shook from head to toe, the result reminding Sakura of a miniature blizzard. She laughed and kicked a little snow at him. He snorted and shook himself again.

"Hey, Sneezy, do you see what I see?" Sasuke cocked his head and followed her gaze. His eyes widened.

"The paint!" he cried, shifting to human form and running over to the jars, which, it seemed, had been thrown a few feet away from the totem. His bare feet tingled painfully but he forced his mind from the thought of discomfort. He helped Sakura strap her cargo to her back before lugging his own onto his spine.

"Aren't you going to shift back to wolf form?"

"No, the straps won't fit in that form 'cuz I tied them for this form. Now go. I'll lag a little behind and watch for Icicle." His sister hurried ahead, choosing not to argue for once. "Thank you for this gift, gods. I am so leaving you guys more offerings next time." His feet sank into the snow with every step and soon he lost feeling in his toes. Ice particles grasping at his pants glittered in the sunlight, which held no comfort for the pup. He gritted his teeth and focused on moving, one step at a time.

By the time he reached Chief Samickle's hut, his whole body was trembling and he could no longer feel past his knees or elbows. Sakura sat at the hut's door, waiting for him. "Why didn't you-" His sentence was lost as he fell face-first into the snow. Sakura sliced through her jar's straps with her teeth and ran over to him, calling his name.

A dark feeling overtook him, turning his world to black with the simple whisper, _"Stop asking questions, Prophet."_


	17. The Missing Pup

**Chapter Seventeen: The Missing Pup**

**A/N 1/31/10:** Yes, another new chapter! Anyway, an odd concept is introduced in this chapter, but I think that with all the other odd stuff in "Okami", you can deal with it. Just remember: Stay away from sharp objects and no playing with matches.

LOL, I just realized that I haven't mentioned Icicle's eye color. You'd think I would've after so much description of Crescent and the others, but I completely forgot. If you haven't gone on my DeviantArt and seen the pictures, Icicle has red eyes and has lighter red outlines of the iris and pupil. They are not filled in with light red; they are just the outlines.

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"_Cold… So cold… I gotta get up before it's too late…"_ Sasuke slightly opened his eyelids, just enough to tell himself he was not still lying out in the snow. His hands were trembling and burned like fire. A need to retch tugged at his stomach as he forced himself to sit up and look around.

"Feeling better?" His head swiveled to his left and his eyes widened. He had not even felt Sakura's presence. "Well?" asked the sitting blond. He nodded slowly.

"I guess… So, whose hut are we in?"

"Chief Samickle's. He insisted on it." Sasuke pulled his blanket up closer as the temperature of the room dropped.

"So, where is he?" Sakura shrugged and clenched the blanket over her shoulders tighter.

"He left a few minutes before you woke up." Sasuke groaned and ran a hand through his hair, brushing his wolf ears as he did so. _"Figures… Can't believe I passed out. And when Mom finds out... Ugh… There goes all my freedom…" _He stretched his arms and lay down, covering his head with the blanket.

"Tell me when he gets back."

"Fine…"

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What felt like forever to the two pups passed before the door opened and Samickle walked into the hut. Sakura nudged her brother, who uncovered his head, sat up, and turned around to get a look at the stranger. His eyes widened and his ears slightly flattened. The chief was quite tall, had broad shoulders, and had an air of confidence about him. But what unnerved Sasuke most was the mask Samickle wore. It completely hid his face and reminded Sasuke a little too much of Icicle.

"Who are you?" asked Sakura, her gaze falling past the chief. Her brother leaned over and peered around Samickle, realizing he had not returned alone. The man behind him had black and red hair, and wore robes of the same colors, plus dark blue. He too seemed confident. A mask also covered his face, but it did not seem as menacing as the chief's. The man's red eyes nearly gave him a heart attack, though.

"Yeah, who are you?" Sasuke asked, his hair standing on end. The tall man's eyes met Sasuke's and the pup felt his stomach leap into his chest. _"Why am I so scared? Lots of creatures have red eyes."_

"I am Oki, and you must be Sasuke." The man's gaze shifted to Sasuke's sister. "And you are Sakura?" She nodded and shifted her seat so Samickle would not step on her while walking by. She used the movement as an opportunity to take hold of her brother's hand. His eyes widened as he realized she was trembling.

Oki walked past them as well and sat beside Samickle. The two pups released each others' hand long enough to turn around to face the two men. _"We shouldn't worry. Mother said that Samickle was friendly, once you got to know him."_

"Thank you for taking us in, Chief Samickle," said Sasuke. "We shall leave as soon as we are able. Forgive us for troubling you."

"It was no trouble. It is rather nice having children in the village..." The chief's voice trailed off. Sasuke's ears perked up and he let go of Sakura's hand. _ "Why does he seem different at the thought of children? There's something more to this."_

Sasuke asked, "Chief Samickle, when was the last time there were children in Wep'keer?" A suffocating air of sadness filled the hut. Sakura could have sworn even the fire dimmed under the sorrowful aura.

"The last child in this village disappeared ten years ago," said Samickle, his gaze falling to the floor. "If you must know, I will tell you about the child." Both pups nodded, something in them having clicked and alerted them that this information was important. Samickle glanced at Oki, who nodded and moved his hands to his lap.

"Very well. Twenty years ago, after Amateratsu had left this realm for the Celestial Plains, Oki and I confessed that we loved each other. We were happy together, but after six years, we began to feel something was missing. We consulted Tuskle, the priestess who lives by Lake Laochi. She questioned us and determined what we were desiring was a family." Sasuke's eyes widened at this. His mind was already putting the pieces together.

"She made a potion for us, one that would turn Oki into a woman for three years. He eagerly used it and a little less than a year later, our child was born. We cared for our son as best we could. The whole village even pitched in. Only the day that Yami was defeated rivaled those happy years. However, our happiness was not to last." Sakura's ears flattened and she fought back a whimper.

"Our son's fourth year, he disappeared. There were footprints leading to Yoshpet, but they stopped only a few feet in. We all searched, none harder than Oki, but no one could find him..." His voice trailed off again. He wrapped an arm around Oki's shoulders, comforting them both.

Sasuke bit his bottom lip and looked to the floor. _"It shouldn't be possible, yet it is... He has to be... Icicle has to be their son. It just makes sense. Crescent and Moonbeam kidnapped him, didn't they? That's why his name is so strange. A cruel inside joke between them."_ He looked to his sister, who seemed to have realized the same thing. _"Tomorrow, we'll find him. We'll find their son and try to bring him back. At the very least, we can let them know their child is not dead..."_

Sasuke clenched his sister's hand tighter and said, "We are truly sorry for your loss...and I apologize for bringing up such a topic."

"It is alright," said Oki. "You did not know." An awkward silence draped itself over the four wolves in human form. Eventually, though, Sasuke found reason to speak again.

"If you will permit it, Chief Samickle, my sister and I would like to stay in Wep'keer for a few days. We have reason to believe one of our foes is in the area." Sasuke still could not quite believe how professional he sounded. _"Perhaps it runs in the family?"_ he asked himself. Samickle's eyes slightly widened but his voice remained calm.

"An enemy of yours? Aren't you a little young to have enemies?" Sasuke shook his head.

"Even babies can have enemies if their parents are heroes."

"I suppose you are right. You may stay in the hut just down the hill from this one. It used to be mine, but now it is just used as extra storage for scrolls. As long as you do not harm the documents, you may sleep there." Sasuke and Sakura bowed their heads.

"Thank you, Chief Samickle," said the siblings in unison.

"Ah, but tonight, you should stay here. It's much too cold to travel now." The duo nodded.

"Of course, Chief Samickle. Thank you for everything."

"_I promise we'll find him, and I'll personally see to it that those two monsters pay for destroying your family."_


	18. The Search Begins

**Chapter Eighteen: The Search Begins**

**A/N 2/9/10:** Sorry this took so long. This chapter was not part of the original plan. -_-;

Yay, filler!

And sorry it's so short. To reiterate, this was not really planned so I had trouble writing it and connecting its strands to the others. The next chapter will be longer and smoother.

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The next day, Sasuke found himself pacing in front of the storage hut he and his sister were now staying in. Sakura sat nearby, watching with mild disdain. "It just makes sense, doesn't it, Soeur?" asked the black wolf.

"Yes, it makes perfect sense that Icicle is their son. We already went over this. Let's get searching for him already!"

"We can't just run off this time. The cold weather makes that too dangerous." Sasuke paused midstep and looked to his sister. "By the way, did Chief Samickle send someone to tell Mom we're staying here?" Sakura sighed and laid down, only to jolt upright as her stomach touched the frozen-over ground.

"Yeah, he sent someone named Kai. Now, can we go? There's a merchant down there, and I'm pretty sure there are some Demon Scrolls around here. If we don't have enough Yen for supplies we can go fight some monsters and earn some." Sasuke stopped again and sat down.

"Well, how much can you carry, Sakkie? My Astral Pouch is nearly full of peaches and Mrs. Orange's baked goods, and I don't have any pockets in either form." Sakura shifted to human form and checked her Pouch.

"I have enough room for a few low-level Holy Bones." She shifted back to wolf form and started down the hill. "Now c'mon!" The snow crunched and slightly sank under his weight as he followed her. He created a game of trying to set his paws in her pawprints.

"So, Sakkie, how much Yen do you have anyway?"

"More than you, Blackie."

"Hey, I'm only black 'cuz you spilled ink on me when I was a puppy!"

"What? Yesterday?" Growling playfully, Sasuke tackled his sister. They tumbled together down the last part of the path and landed with a flurry of snow. They stood and squared off, then raced to the merchant's booth.

"Oh. Hello, pups," greeted the masked merchant. "Been sent by your master to do the shopping?"

Narrowing her eyes, Sakura said, "We don't have a master."

"Though we do have a mother..." said Sasuke, flattening his ears.

"Oh, you must be travelers. Might I suggest buying a Traveler's Charm while you are here?" Sakura shook her head and used her paw to point at a few goods. "I'll take three Holy Bones and-"

"Whoa! Look at those beads!" Sasuke nearly knocked his sister over in his excitement to see the divine instrument laying in front of the merchant.

The rosary beads were red with a black triangle curving in their middle. Every fourth bead hung down opposite of the others and was marked with veins of red on a black background. "They look like demon fangs," said the wolf. "How much are they?"

Without skipping a beat, the merchant replied, "500,000 Yen."

"What?!" For a moment, Sasuke thought his heart had stopped. "Fi-fi-five hundred **thousand **Yen?" The merchant nodded, and Sakura began laughing.

"You're kidding, right?" asked the white wolf between laughs. "Who'd pay **that** for beads?"

"But these are no ordinary beads," said the merchant. "The man who sold them to me used them to split a large boulder in half to show their power. He called them Demon Beads, and it was quite obvious that they are full of the strength of demons." Sasuke gingerly pawed the beads, earning himself a small shock that made him yelp. Sakura cocked her head.

"Did the man do anything else?" asked Sakura.

"He said that he was disposing of the beads in order to forget his past and create a better future. After that, he left without buying anything."

"Odd..." muttered Sasuke.

"Yeah, but if we go off chasin' after every oddball, we won't find Icicle." She tossed a few hundred Yen to the merchant and loaded three Holy Bones into her Astral pouch. "Now, let's go find him!"

"All right..." He gave the beads one last look of longing and then raced after his sister.

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**A/N:** I know Holy Bones don't go in the Astral Pouch when you play the game, but where else would a wolf keep something that doesn't seem either impossible or inappropriate?


	19. The Stolen Sword

**Chapter Nineteen: The Stolen Sword**

**A/N 2/15/10:** Edited the last chapter a little bit. The merchant isn't surprised by talking wolves. Makes more sense, since he himself can turn into a wolf/dog/canine.

Anyway, yay! Another chapter is up! So, would you guys mind reviewing? Plz? I'd really like to know what you think is gonna happen next, or just what you think of the fic thus far.^^

Oh, and I'm going to start another Okami fic soon that is about Amaterasu and the wolf god of the moon. It'll be awesome, so be sure to check out "Eclipse" when I post it!^^

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Sakura sniffed around the totem pole, wincing as the wind blew a few snowflakes into her eyes. "Where are we looking first, Sakura?" asked Sasuke. The white wolf glanced at him, wondering if he deserved an answer. "Well?"

"We're going to check from the gates of Wep'keer to the tunnel to Nippon. Then, we'll check out Lake Laochi and whatever else is through that set of doors by Samickle's hut."

"That's **Chief** Samickle."

"Whatever." Sakura set off at a rather slow pace compared to her usual run. Sasuke followed, listening intently for any strange noises. Every few seconds she stopped, sniffing the ground for any clues to Icicle's whereabouts. Sasuke looked for footprints, but it seemed that the snowfall had masked all signs of life.

A blur of motion drew his attention. He bounded after it, chasing small pawprints through the trees of a dead forest. Though the prints were much too small to fit his target, he still called, "Hey, Icicle! Come back! I gotta talk to you!" A few birds scattered as his shoulder grazed a tree. "Hey!" The trees cleared and Sasuke could now see what he had been chasing.

It was a little white rabbit. "Really? A rabbit? And not even Yumigami, either. Just a rabbit." He sighed and tossed it a peach. "There. Enjoy your meal." It sniffed at the fruit. Then, it turned up its nose and disappeared into a burrow.

Sasuke's ears flattened and his jaw dropped in shock. _"Was I just dissed by a rabbit?"_ He growled and bared his fangs. "Fine! Forget you!" He turned to walk away. "Stupid rabbit..."

"Kill it," said a stern voice.

"Huh?" Sasuke looked around, but saw no one.

"It thinks it's better than you, Sake. It thinks it's better than a god. Teach it its place." The voice froze him more than the snow, but timidly, he shook his head.

"No... It was just a rabbit. Why should it die?"

"Weren't you listening, Sake?" A pair of red eyes glared out from the treeline. Sasuke stepped back as a familiar black wolf stepped into the clearing. _"Raiden."_ "Though, I guess you are rather distracted by the missing sword, eh? After all, Kutone is the stuff of legends. In fact, I'm surprised all of the Oina aren't out looking for it right now."

Sasuke cocked his head. "Kutone?"

"Remember the sword I used to free the Ark of Yamato a few months ago? It's gone." Sasuke cocked his head a little further.

"And I need to know this why?" Raiden smiled, and Sasuke tried to recall anything and everything he had heard about Kutone. _"Well, it can free the Ark. That's...not really useful."_

"Hmmm...." The demon scratched his chin. "I suppose you don't. But make sure to tell Sammy-boy. The chief should at least know when his village's sacred artifact is gone."

"Why's it sacred?" _"And why am I talking with the enemy? Is this part of his plot?"_ Raiden turned to leave. "Hey! Answer me!"

"I dunno. There were some rumors of it belonging to a powerful Oina chief, but others said it belonged to a god. If you really wanna know, go find out, Sake."

The demon wolf disappeared into the trees, and Sasuke followed. "Great. Another mystery. Can't anyone just spit out an answer?" He looked for prints from his foe but saw none. "This just gets weirder by the minute." He made his way back to Sakura and told her what had occurred.

"Sounds like a trap," said Sakura. "I bet Crescent and him are going to capture Samickle and make the Oina work for them in exchange for his safety."

"That's probably it, but should we still tell them Kutone is gone?"

"We'll tell Samickle. Then, we'll go to Lake Laochi and try to find the sword before any Oina have to get involved." Sasuke nodded and they set off back to Wep'keer.

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"Hey, Sake," said his sister when they were almost to the village. "Ever notice we have to run everywhere?"

"Yeah, I really wish we could use the Mermaid Springs. It'd make things go much faster."

They slowed as they entered the village, choosing to walk over the ice entrance to Wep'keer. They sped up a bit on the snow path. The duo could not fully run, as their paws sunk into the uphill slope.

"Hey, Sakkie, who's that?" asked Sasuke. Outside of the storage hut marked with an upside-down crescent moon stood a woman clad in green who appeared to be praying. Her mask was reminiscent of a leaf, and her long, black hair flowed behind her with the wind.

"I dunno, but I guess we better find out." Sakura approached the woman at a walking pace, not wanting to make the wrong impression. Sasuke followed a few feet behind. "Um, excuse me." The woman turned and squealed in happiness.

"It is you, Okami Amaterasu!" She bowed and then met Sakura's gaze. "I am Lika, the girl who performed the prayer on the Day of Darkness all those years ago! Remember, Amaterasu, mother and origin of all that is good?"

The pups just looked at each other, then back at Lika.

"Um, I'm not Amaterasu. I'm her daughter, and Blackie over there is her son." Sasuke snorted angrily at his sister and then smiled at Lika.

"It's an understandable mistake. After all, there aren't many white wolves with red markings running around." The woman sighed and sat down in front of the wolves.

"Forgive me, but I was really hoping for Amaterasu."

"And why is that?" asked Sakura.

"I went up to the alter at Lake Laochi to pray not ten minutes ago. Unfortunately, once there, I found that our sacred sword, Kutone, was gone. I raced back and told Chief Samickle, who set off with Oki."

"What? No!" cried Sakura, running off up the hill.

"What's wrong?" asked Lika.

"We think a demon's setting a trap for the Chief," said Sasuke, running after her.

"Should I get help?" called Lika, standing.

"No, we can handle it!"

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**A/N 2/15/10:** *sigh* I hate conversations with three+ people. They get to be so repetitive. -_-;


	20. Homecoming

**Chapter Twenty: Homecoming**

**A/N 2/16/10:** We're finally at Chapter Twenty! Yay! *throws cookies to readers*

Oh, and I've been listening to the "Cruel Angel's Thesis" from Neon Genesis Evangelion lately. You guys really need to hear it if you haven't already. It's awesome.^^ The Shinji version is pretty cool, too. Especially when he screams.

Seriously, go find the Shinji version and listen to it. You can multi-task, can't you?

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"Hey, Samickle! Oki!" called Sakura as she approached the altar of Lake Laochi. The two men turned and walked down the steps of the altar.

"Sakura, is this the work of the enemy your brother mentioned?" She nodded and moved over as Sasuke slid to a stop beside her.

"Chief Samickle," said the black wolf, "we think you should go back to the village. The demon behind this appears to be plotting to capture you." The Chief's eyes widened but he slowly shook his head.

"No. If a demon is threatening my people, I will stand and fight."

"As will I," said Oki, drawing his sword.

Sakura began to speak, but a loud cracking noise made her shut her mouth. Sasuke raced up the altar, shouting, "Not again!" _"The Ark can't be free again, can it?"_ After a moment, his three companions joined him in looking out over the ice-covered lake. The ice shimmered and slowly, a wall of ice rose up from the lake. "What's going on...?" wondered the black wolf. The ice wall began moving forward toward the four onlookers.

"How is it not breaking the ice?" asked Sakura. No one even tried to explain it.

As the ice wall drew near, it became evident that three figures stood upon its peak. The two pups growled and moved to fighting stances. "Crescent! Moonbeam! Come face us!" called the siblings. The purple wolf laughed and leapt from her perch. Moonbeam followed suite, and they raced past the altar toward the village.

"I don't think so!" shouted Sakura, starting after them.

"Saewataru!" A wall of ice jutted up in front of Sakura. Her reflector shifted position and slammed into the ice right before her head. The ice cracked but did not give way. Sakura shook her head and backed up, a light ringing filling her ears.

"Stupid glacé..." She turned back toward the lake and growled. "Icicle, I am gonna throttle you." The named teen silently drew a sword. He leaned forward and the wall of ice he stood on did the same.

Icicle jumped forward, swinging the sword at Sakura. She blocked it wither her mirror and Sasuke attacked with his glaive. "Fool," said the blue-haired teen, following the blade's motion with his body. The glaive sliced the air above Icicle's chest. Icicle firmly planted his feet on the stone altar and swung his sword, sending a line of ice particles at the duo. The wolf pups yelped and tumbled off of the altar.

"Enough playing with pups! Fight me!" Oki slammed his sword against Icicle's. Their red eyes met and Oki weakened his grip on his sword. Icicle pushed him back and swung his own sword.

"Kutone, awaken!" The sword glinted red and a spray of razor-sharp icicles flew at Oki, who shattered them to pieces with his own sword. Oki lunged at Icicle; their swords met again and again in showers of sparks. "Kogo-" Oki cut him off with a strong punch to the face. Icicle's mask cracked and a small piece fell off. Icicle jumped back from the altar to the ground. Oki followed, not relenting for a moment.

Samickle jumped down to the other side and checked on the two pups. Sasuke looked himself over and said, "We're fine. You just stay out of this, Chief."

"Why should I?" asked Samickle. Sakura snorted and walked past him.

"It doesn't matter," said the black pup. "Just don't fight Icicle."

"But-"

"Please, just trust me!" The Chief sighed and walked away from the battle area. He watched from a distance as the two siblings began working with Oki to fight Icicle.

Sasuke's glaive swung inches from Icicle's head, and Silver Flash clunked against the teen's leg, making him fall to his knees. Icicle recovered quickly, dodging Oki's sword and attacking with Kutone. Oki shifted to wolf form in midair to dodge the attack. He then shifted back to human form and swung his sword. However, a headbutt from Sasuke pushed Icicle from its path and slammed him against the tall wall of ice. The wall cracked and slightly trembled.

Icicle pushed him away and pointed Kutone at Sakura, shouting, "Kogoeshinu!" The sword flashed red and instantly, a wave of ice overtook her, freezing her in place.

"No! Sakura!" Sasuke ran over to her and pawed at the ice surrounding her. When she did not respond, he turned to Icicle and snarled. He shifted to human form and brandished his glaive. "You're gonna pay for that."

They raced at each other, slicing with their swords as they passed one another. Both boys paused once they had separated. _CRACK!_ Icicle's mask splintered and fell to the ground. A deep wound on Sasuke's cheek opened and spurted blood.

"My mask…" Icicle slowly raised a hand to his face, covering one side of his face. His body was trembling. "How dare you…" Kutone took on an ominous red glow as its wielder's grip tightened. "…remove my mask!"

Icicle turned and lunged at Sasuke, who barely managed to jump back out of the way in time. The sword lodged itself in the snow, prompting the shaking teen to pause. He looked Oki in the face and glared. Oki's eyes widened and his breath hitched in his throat.

"I-impossible…" muttered the Oina warrior.

Icicle growled and lunged again, grunting in frustration as the smaller boy blocked with his glaive. Sasuke used Icicle's motion to push him into the snow. Then, he backed up toward the altar. Icicle stood, panting heavily as his blood boiled.

"Fool!" Icicle lunged again. "A single weapon will not save you!" In a flash, the glaive found itself lodged high up in the ice wall. The wall cracked and trembled again, large spiderweb patterns branching out from the blade.

Sasuke glanced up at his weapon, then back at Icicle, who now had Kutone's point aimed right at his throat. He closed his eyes, thinking, _"I've gotta focus. Forget the anger. Remember the mission. I have to stop this fight. If I kill him…"_ The blade moved closer. _"If he kills me…"_ Sasuke glanced to Oki, who had not moved since he had seen Icicle's face. The man's eyes were wide with disbelief. _"Oki recognizes him, and even though he doesn't know Icicle, he wouldn't want his son to be a murderer!"_

Icicle thrusted Kutone forward as Sasuke jumped back. The boy then jumped up onto the altar. "Icicle, stop fighting for a minute! Forget everything Crescent and Moonbeam have told you! Just listen to me!"

Icicle jumped on on the altar, Kutone once again held out threateningly. Sasuke groaned and leapt back onto the wall of ice. "Just stop! I...I..." As Icicle lunged at him, Sasuke froze. A vision flashed before his eyes. Kutone had nearly sunk into the boy's skull when the wall of ice exploded with a flash of lightning and the roar of thunder. The two warriors fell down toward a gaping hole in Lake Laochi. Icicle's eyes narrowed and he grabbed his still-motionless foe. He used a stray piece of ice as a push-off point and jumped to shore. Once there, he tossed Sasuke aside.

Samickle ran up to the duo, determined to protect Sasuke if necessary. However, he stopped as he saw Icicle. Their eyes met and Samickle took a step back. Their eyes stayed connected until Icicle looked down to Kutone, inhaling sharply as he realized the sword was faintly glowing silver.

"Icicle..." The teen's attention was drawn back to Sasuke, who was beginning to stand. He knocked the boy back down with a kick. "I just had a vision about you!" Icicle cocked his head, slightly interested. "You have to go back to the village, no matter what Crescent has told you. Your destiny lies with Chief Samickle and Oki."

Icicle stiffened and raised Kutone; Sasuke found the blade's tip once again pointed at his throat. "My destiny...? What makes you think you can tell me any more about my destiny than Moonbeam can?"

"I'm able to see the future, okay? And right now, your future can go one of two ways. A: You kill me and go back to Crescent, never knowing who you are and slaughtering whoever you are told to." Icicle growled warningly. "Or... B: You go back to the village and just listen to one story about the last child of Wep'keer."

"What happens if I pick B?" asked Icicle, pulling Kutone back to strike.

"You find out who you really are." Icicle's eyes widened and he lowered Kutone.

"Who I really am...?" Sasuke stood and nodded, smiling.

"Yes. You will finally know who your parents are, what you are." Icicle shook his head.

"I know who I am. I am a member of the Moon Tribe."

"No... You are an Oina."

"Prove it," said Icicle.

"Come to the village," replied Sasuke.

Icicle hesitantly slid Kutone into its sheath. "Fine, but I will not stay any longer than necessary." He began to walk down the hill to Wep'keer.

Sasuke looked to his sister and then said, "Um, first, can you unfreeze Sakkie?"

Icicle sighed and said, "Defurosuta." Slowly, the ice surrounding the pup melted away. As she shook herself off, Sasuke ran over to her and helped her gain her bearings.

"What happened?" asked the white wolf, looking around with wide eyes.

"Icicle's coming back to Wep'keer 'cuz I had a vision about him. Now, let's try to hurry, Sakkie. Oki and Samickle have already left us behind."

"That's **Chief **Samickle, Sake" said Sakura.

Sasuke smiled and playfully said, "Shut up, Sakkie.

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**A/N 2/16/10:** Some word meanings… They're not exact, but they give you the basic idea.

**French** - "Glacé" – "Ice"

**Japanese** - "Saewataru" – "To freeze over"

**Japanese** - "Kogoeshinu" – "To freeze to death"

**Japanese** - "Defurosuta" - "Defroster"

BTW, fight scenes = annoying to write. Why? Doesn't matter. Just go listen to the Shinji version of "Cruel Angel's Thesis".


	21. Revelation

**Chapter Twenty-One: Revelation**

**A/N 2/20/10: **New chapter! Yay!

So, are any of you guys giving me hits going to review? I'll keep writing without reviews, but I'd still like to know if you totally hate what's happening right now.

BTW, we passed 30,000 with the last chapter. Yay!

And why is this chapter super-short? It just didn't feel right putting anything after the breakdown. The next chapter will answer some questions for you guys.^^

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"This is ridiculous. How could I possibly…?" Icicle sighed and sat up on the rooftop. The sword at his side tapped against the wooden roof. "No wonder Crescent does not like these people. They are all out of their heads." He pulled his knees to his chest and closed his eyes, listening intently to the conversation within the hut below.

"Tuskle, are you sure?" came the voice that belonged to the black and red-haired man.

"Yes, Oki, I am positive. The potion does not lie." Icicle figured that voice belonged to Tuskle. A fresh cut on Icicle's arm panged with pain beneath a bandage, and he wondered why he had agreed to the blood test.

A new voice, which Icicle assumed belonged to the blue-haired man, said, "I still cannot quite believe this. It is too… Too…"

"Odd. Messed up. Totally and utterly strange," said Icicle, partially wishing he was in the hut with them.

"So, he is our son," said the blue-haired man. A need to run rushed through Icicle's veins. His heart began to pound fiercely.

He gripped at his chest, muttering, "Why…? Why am I so…?" He gritted his teeth. He was unwilling to admit it. He refused to say he was afraid. Taking a deep breath, he stood and stepped off of the roof. His heart drumming in his ears, he turned as the hut's door opened and two figures walked out. Their eyes met his and for a moment, time seemed to stand still.

Then, Icicle took a step forward. His gaze fell to the ground and a feeling of nausea made his head swim.

"You are my…?" The two men nodded. Icicle's eyes closed and his legs buckled. He fell forward but did not hit the ground. Oki caught the teen and held him close, both falling to their knees as forgotten emotions and broken words flooded their minds.

Samickle did not approach the duo until Icicle moved to look him straight in the face. The teen nodded and allowed Samickle to kneel and pull him into a hug. "My son," said the Chief, holding Icicle tightly. The teen buried his face in his new-found father's shoulder, allowing his mental walls to break down and let him feel what he had been suppressing for years. For the first time in years, he cried.


	22. Enlightenment

**Chapter Twenty-Two: Enlightenment**

**A/N 2/27/10:** Been listening to "Burden of Sacrifice" by Full Blown Rose lately. It's a little slow for my tastes, but I still like it. Go find it and listen to it like you did "Cruel Angel's Thesis". Got it? Good.

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Meanwhile, in their hut in Wep'keer, two pups in human form were huddled together under a pile of blankets. "Sasuke, when will they be back?" The dark-haired boy shrugged.

"I don't know, Sakkie. Just try to stay warm." Sakura growled and pulled the blankets around them closer; her trembling hands made such a simple task that much harder. Silently, she cursed her failure to dodge the move that had frozen her.

"I'm sorry..." muttered Sasuke.

"Hm?" Her gaze shifted to her brother.

"I should've been the one hit," said the boy, covering his head with a blanket. Scowling, she pulled it off of him.

"And just why is that?" she asked, glaring. "I'm older. I'm the one who ran away and started this whole chain of events." Sasuke forced a weak smile.

"I don't know why I should have been hit, and I don't see how your running away caused this thing with Icicle." Sakura frowned and crossed her arms beneath the blankets.

"If I hadn't helped Raiden with that Lunar Trinity, Mom would still have her powers. And if she still had her powers, she would have made the delivery, and heard the story, and fought Icicle. Meanwhile, we'd be back at home playing."

Sasuke wrapped an arm around her shoulders and hugged her, burying his head in her neck. "We both helped Raiden."

"But why?" Sakura pushed her hair from her eyes. "Why did we help after we knew what would happen?" Sasuke's wolf ears flattened against his head and he leaned back to look her in the eyes.

"That day, I felt a dark aura, and since then, I've felt it whenever Raiden was involved. Perhaps his demon powers..."

"Ah, he controlled us! Gah!" cried Sakura, flinging the blankets open and standing. She walked across the room, her head in her hands. She stamped her foot on the floor. "I hope that stupid demon gets what's comin' to him!"

"He will. One day. We'll both make sure of that, right, Sakkie?" His sister turned and nodded, a determined smile crossing her face.

"Right, that jerk won't know what hit him!"

_CRASH!_ The door behind her flew open. Sakura yelped and spun on her heel, her mirror materializing on her back. "Who dares-oh, it's just you." In walked Icicle, followed closely by Oki and Samickle. The two men shut the door, grunting in frustration as it refused to move. Snow carried in by a freezing wind soon covered parts of the floor. Sasuke and Sakura ran over, and together they managed to shut the door.

Wiping his mask off, Oki said, "The weather just gets worse and worse, eh, Samickle?" The other Oina nodded and sat on the floor.

"It must because Kutone is not in the alter." Samickle began trying to light a fire in the firepit. "An old legend about the first Oina tribe says that the lands of Kamui were inhospitable until a great god gave his blessing-and his sword-to the first Oina chief." The fire smoldered and then burst to life. "If we return Kutone, things should go back to normal." Oki sat beside Samickle and took the man's hand, trying to warm the freezing limb up.

"Nice mask," said Sasuke, offering a blanket to Icicle as the teen sat beside him. The older boy turned up his nose and crossed his arms.

"Hey, Frosty," said Sakura, moving to tower over the teen, "how about you give back Kutone so the stupid storms stop?"

Icicle shook his head. His hand moved to grip Kutone's hilt. "The time to wield Kutone has come again. A silver glow shall light the way."

Sakura frowned and put her hands on her hips. "What's that supposed to mean? Are we going on a treasure hunt in the dark?"

"It is the final prophecy Moonbeam told me. It means I must keep Kutone until further notice."

"No way!" cried Sakura, turning away from him. "Chief Samickle, order him to give it back!" Samickle crossed his arms and shook his head.

"I believe he is telling the truth, Sakura," said the Chief. Oki nodded in agreement. Defeated, she sighed and sat beside Sasuke. "Now, Icicle," said the Chief, slightly leaning forward, "could you tell us just what Crescent and the others have been doing to you all these years?"

The teen's eyes closed and his hands folded in his lap. "I suppose… Then perhaps my path will become clear." Icicle took a deep breath to calm himself. Then, he began his story.

"The earliest thing I can recall is being lost in a frightening forest. I wandered in circles, every tree looking equally sinister under the thick blanket of snow. I could not remember how I had ended up there. Nor could I force a cry of alarm from my lips. I had no mask the protect my face from the cold, and I eventually curled up against a tree trunk, just hoping something would change for the better.

"Well, after what felt like hours, I was approached by a blur of purple. It was a woman. She offered to take me home and I consented. She picked me up and carried me for what appeared to be miles through that accursed forest. Soon, I began thinking she had lost the way as well.

"But then another woman approached us, this one wearing blue. She led us to this cave and it was warm and I was happy."

Icicle paused to raise a trembling hand to his masked forehead, his eyes wide and staring at something that was not there.

"They gave me food and told me I was a member of the Moon Tribe. They said my parents were killed by demons and that they had been sent to find me and bring me home. I believed them. After all, how could I not? I couldn't even remember my own name."

Icicle paused once more, unsure if he wanted to continue. He knew his voice was filling with distress as his mind began fitting the pieces together.

"They told me my name was Icicle and that I was to begin training immediately. Every day, I was put through vicious fights, grueling punishments, anything they thought would strengthen me. I was given no breaks, even if injured, but I accepted it. I accepted that that was how it was supposed to be. They told me everyone in the Moon Tribe goes through such things, and I believed them. I fought for my life, slayed countless demons, anything to become what they wanted.

"Time seemed to stop for me. Every day was the same. I didn't even notice when my hair grew to waist length until Crescent complimented me on it."

Icicle paused for the third time, reaching back and pulling a strand of his hair to where he could see it. His eyes narrowed and he yanked hard, ripping it out. He threw it onto the firepit, watching with grim satisfaction as it curled up and turned to ash.

"One day, a black wolf visited us. He seemed to have a great dislike for me, though we had never met before. They talked, and then I was told I would be competing in the Canine Trials within a month. I was to fight until an Orb was mine, and then give the Orb to Moonbeam.

"A week before the Trials, Moonbeam took me to the alter at the frozen lake. She told me to take the sword, Kutone, and then told me the prophecy: _'The time to wield Kutone has come again. A silver glow shall light the way.' _I did as commanded and stole away with the sword, not thinking much of it as an image of the sword filled in its spot, giving the impression it was still there.

"I entered the Trials, met you two pups, and prepared to carry out my mission. However, the night before the final battle, Raiden visited me. He claimed to have had a vision and said that if I fought the next day, I would die. I recited what I had always been told by Crescent: 'Better to die fulfilling your duty than to live by discarding your job.' He called me a filthy dog and said that all dogs die for their masters. Then, he left.

"The next day, as you know, Raiden and I fought each other and ended up knocking each other out. We had both failed the mission, though I was more distraught than Raiden when informed of my failure.

"Moonbeam and I returned to Kamui shortly after the Trials ended. I was told that you, Sasuke, would be in the area soon, and that I was to steal your cargo."

Sasuke met Icicle's gaze, confusion sparking in his amber eyes.

"As you know, I did as told. Then, once I had lost you, Raiden approached me and told me the orders had changed. I was to abandon the pots in Wep'keer. I obeyed. Then, I met Moonbeam and Crescent, who dissolved the illusion of Kutone at the alter. We traveled across the lake and waited for you."

"Why?" asked Sasuke, not caring he was interrupting. "What reason did they give you for this?" Icicle looked to the floor. His hair fell forward, cascading over his shoulders.

"Oddly enough," he replied, letting a slight chuckle escape, "they told me almost the same thing you did. They told me **you** held the key to my destiny, Sasuke."

Sakura's eyes widened and she nearly fell over. She cried, "What?! Why's he so special?!"

Icicle shrugged and pushed a few locks of hair over his shoulder. "I don't know. Maybe he isn't. Maybe it was another lie."

Icicle put his hands on his knees and stood. Coldly, he said, "Now, if your questions have been answered, I am leaving."

Samickle and Oki stood and barred his way. "You are leaving?" asked the Chief, disbelief filling his voice.

"I must find out the truth," said Icicle. "I have two stories, but no clear path. I know who I must consult. Leave me be."

Trembling, Samickle stepped aside. Oki looked at him in shock. "Let him go, Oki. He must make this choice alone." Oki started to protest but stopped as he realized that his lover was crying. Biting his bottom lip, he allowed his new-found son to pass.

The door opened and a raging torrent of snow flooded in. Icicle glanced back at them, muttered, "Thank you..." and then disappeared into the dark night.

His hands shaking, Oki pushed the door closed and then fell to his knees. He held his head in his hands and cried. Samickle placed a hand on Oki's back and began comforting him.

Sasuke and Sakura glanced at each other, then back at the saddened couple. Sasuke shifted to wolf form and walked over to them, stopping a foot away. "He'll come back; don't worry. My vision showed me this."

He was lying, of course. His vision had been nothing like he'd told. However, they did not need to know that.

Slowly, the couple stood and moved to sit by the fire. The tears had subsided but an aura of sorrow still hung over them. To Sasuke it felt worse than the dark aura he kept feeling.

"I hope he returns soon," said Oki, sniffling lightly.

"He will," replied Sasuke, lying through his teeth.

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**A/N 2/27/10:** Man, stupid info dump... Though, this chapter was necessary. Anyway, R&R after reading.^^


	23. Eye of the Storm

**Chapter Twenty-Three: Eye of the Storm**

**A/N 3/3/10:** Remember how I said I was gonna post a separate Okami fic called "Eclipse"? Well, I've decided that it will be the **prequel** to "The Journey". Be sure to check it out once I post it!

Anyway, I have another song for you guys. "Truth Beneath the Rose" by Within Temptation. Why am I telling you guys to go listen to it? It's what I was listening to while I wrote this chapter. Ergo, they fit together(kinda).

Now go find it on YouTube and have it playing while you read this!

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Icicle paused at the gate to Lake Laochi. He looked up into the sky, which was a deep purple and swirled with black clouds. Snow and ice buffeted him from every direction and threatened to tear the remade mask from his face. Despite this nasty weather, however, the moon was clearly visible. In fact, it was brighter than ever.

He scowled beneath his mask and trudged on. Pinpricks of pain sliced through his exposed skin, and mentally, he thanked Tuskle for remaking his mask in such a short amount of time. As a particularly strong gust of wind tore past him, he raised a hand and held the mask down tightly, refusing to lose the mask again.

Icicle slowly made his way up the long path, his feet sinking deep into the snow. He bit his lip and forged ahead with a quickened pace. Soon, he found himself at the bottom of the altar of Kutone.

The wind seemed to circle around him as he walked up the ice-covered steps. More than once he could have sworn he heard someone whisper, _"Ae-oina Kamui…."_

When he reached the altar's peak, he stopped and stared at the Ark of Yamato. The great ship stood barren and lifeless against a backdrop consisting of a full moon and turbulent skies. Its great sails were gone, and for some reason, Icicle got the impression that a great demon should be impaled upon its mast.

He slid Kutone from its sheath and held it out, first lining it up with the mast of the Ark, then pointing its tip at the ship. The teen whispered, "Crescent... Moonbeam..." and narrowed his eyes. Kutone began to tremble. "I summon thee!" Icicle lifted his arm, flipped the sword, and slammed its point into its home in the altar.

Instantly, a blinding light surrounded the sword. It flickered like silver flames and then shot up into the sky, dispersing the noxious-looking clouds. Hundreds of thousands of stars twinkled their thanks as they were freed from the suffocating purple plumes. Icicle stepped back, staring in awe. He had not been informed that an emergency call to his trainers would be so...beautiful.

"Yes?" Icicle stifled a yelp and turned on his heel, raising his fists in defense. "What do you want?" His tensed muscles relaxed. There stood a young woman with blond hair just above her shoulders. Her hand was on her hip, and her purple clothes were more than tight enough to show off her figure. "Well, Frosty? What'd you call us for?"

Icicle glanced around but saw no sign of Moonbeam. Crescent curled her lip in annoyance. "She's busy. As am I." Icicle resisted the urge to just spout out everything he was thinking. "Well? Get on with it."

"Am I of the Moon Tribe?" Her cold blue eyes narrowed and scanned his face, scrutinizing every detail for a clue that would reveal the reason behind this sudden change of attitude. "Well?" he asked, slightly mocking her questions.

"Did we not go over this years ago?" she responded, keeping her cool.

"It was a lie then, and it is a lie now." Icicle's face darkened and his head began to swim with burning heat. The pent-up emotions swirling in his stomach focused and burst forth from his mouth. He cried, "Tell me what really happened! Tell me of your deceit! Tell me how you kidnapped me from my home and put me through torture in order to have a mindless fighter!"

His outburst seemed to strike true and hard.

Crescent lowered her head, her eyes hidden from Icicle by long bangs. Her mouth was a thin line, betraying no emotion.

"Answer me!" shouted Icicle, stepping toward her.

"The day has come..." muttered Crescent.

"What day?" asked Icicle, a commanding tone overtaking his voice.

"The day has come. Everything is falling into place. The day has come." Icicle bared his fangs.

"Stop babbling and talk to me!" He grabbed her chin and forced her to look him in the eyes. A small gasp escaped his mouth.

Tears streaked down her cheeks. Her eyes were unseeing, focused on distant thoughts rather than the teen before her.

"Crescent... What is going on?" Her eyes left Kutone and focused on him, on the eyes beyond the mask. With an angry snarl, she knocked his hand away and stepped back.

"Stupid brat! You could've been a Moon Warrior! Instead, you have chosen the life of a hero! Now you shall die alongside those stupid pups!" Her hands balled into fists. "After everything Moonbeam and I did, saving you, training you, treating you well! If we'd trained you like the Emperor trained us, you'd be a scared pup, shying away from everyone to avoid the whip!"

Icicle's eyes narrowed and he edged back toward Kutone.

"This isn't fair! Raiden got to play hero for his mission! All he had to do was fight a stupid ghost with a bell! Me and Moonbeam had to baby-sit for ten years! Stupid demon! Stupid brat! Stupid gods! Stupid Emperor!"

Inches away from gripping Kutone's hilt, he stopped. What did an emperor have to do with anything?

"This is all....!" She let out a scream and lunged at him, shifting to wolf form as they crashed to the ground. She snapped at his face, crunching his wooden mask to splinters. Icicle reached back and grabbed Kutone, wincing as its sharp edge sliced deep into his hand. "Cursed mutt!" Another crack. This time the whole of the muzzle shattered to bits.

Icicle muttered a quick prayer and pulled Kutone free. He twisted the blade in his grip and plunged it down, striking Crescent in the shoulder. She yowled in pain and backed away, shifting to human form so she could inspect the damage. Icicle kept a firm hold on Kutone, not taking notice as crimson blood began dribbling down the blade.

He took its hilt and held the sword out warningly. "Crescent, tell me what is going on. Tell me everything." The woman scoffed and swung her arm, knocking Kutone away with one hit. The sword clattered down the altar's side, embedding itself in the snow below.

"Forget it, you ungrateful brat." Their eyes met. His were tinged with hate; hers were filled with sorrow.

Crescent jumped back off the altar. Icicle ran after her, but when he reached the edge he found she had disappeared. He looked around but saw no footprints. "Where…?"

"_The time to wield Kutone has come again. A silver glow shall light the way. A new life is formed. History repeats itself."_

A sinister wind slammed into him, carrying with it the scent of cherry blossoms. He sighed and murmured, "Another prophecy…"

Icicle jumped from the altar and returned Kutone to its sheath. "Now, to get **another** new mask." He began trudging past the lake, heading for Tuskle's hut.

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"Tuskle, do you know of any legends from this area that might fit the prophecies?" asked Icicle, his bare face covered by his sleeve. The priestess smiled at the embarrassed boy, who refused to even turn toward her.

"I know many tales; if you have time, I could tell them all to you." He glanced back at her, checking the progress on his mask. He sighed. The block of wood barely resembled his wolf mask. "Well?"

"I suppose I have time."

"Very well then. First, the fall of the Ark of Yamato…"

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As the first rays of sunlight illuminated the lands of Kamui, Icicle exited Tuskle's hut. A new mask identical to the others adorned his face. Although, he did not need it. The chaotic storms seemed to have dwindled to mere flurries during the night.

He raised his arms over his head, stretching and smiling as the morning sun warmed him. Kutone trembled in its sheath. "Enjoying the sun as well?" he asked, though he knew full well the sword could not respond. "Then come out to greet it." He unsheathed the blade and raised it to point at the sun.

Kutone's trembling became frantic and a silver glow surrounded it. A warm surge of power pulsed through its wielder's veins, stealing his breath away. He swallowed hard and forced himself to breathe deep. He prayed, "Earth, wind, sea, ice, give me your strength.... Kutone, light my way with your silver flame... Guide my path and do not let me stray again."

A haunting howl sounded. Icicle looked around but saw no one. "Who...?" Kutone flashed brightly and then dimmed. Icicle shook the sword but it did not begin glowing again. "I really hope you glow when it counts." He looked at his reflection on the blade's edge. His red eyes softened as a vision of the Oki from Tuskle's tale flashed through his mind. "Though, at this rate, I just hope I can earn your glow again."

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**A/N 3/3/10:** Before posting, I'd rewritten this chapter twenty times(I mean delete everything and start over). Maddening, but it seems better now than the first nineteen times. Anyway, please review. I wanna know how I'm doin'.

And feel free to suggest ideas. I may not use them, but I still appreciate the thought/effort on your part.

Oh, chapters may be slowing down because I currently have no internet at home. I'll try to do my research during school and write at home, but thirty minutes of internet is not very much a day.


	24. Decision

**Chapter Twenty-Four: Decision**

**A/N 3/10/10:** I've taken a liking to Icicle. Maybe it's because he's so quiet. Plus, he can angst, but he's got stuff to do so that won't be happening much.

Oh, and I hope you're keeping up with the prophecies. Never forget the prophecies.

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Long blue hair fluttered in a weak wind as Icicle trudged into Wep'keer. He looked around, a bit unnerved at all the activity around him. Villagers hurried about in every direction. They all seemed busy and engrossed in what they were doing. In fact, not a single person so much as glanced in his direction as he began walking up the long path to the Chief's hut.

As the hut came into sight, a sudden burst of excitement overtook him. He jogged up to the door; a carefree smile brightened the face beneath his mask. "Father…" Icicle rapped lightly on the door. After a moment, the door opened to reveal Samickle.

"Ah, Icicle." The teen bowed his head.

"May I come in…?" Samickle's eyes widened and he put his arm around his son's shoulders.

"Of course, of course! Right this way!" Icicle allowed himself to be swallowed by the hut's welcoming warmth and led to a mat beside a crackling fire. He sat down and crossed his legs, waiting expectantly, though he had no reason to.

Disappointment panged deep as Samickle's arm moved from his shoulders. Before Icicle could stop himself, his hand shot out and grabbed the man's sleeve. They stared at each other for a minute. Icicle felt his face heat up and he looked away; however, his grip did not weaken in the slightest.

Silently, Samickle sat beside the teen. Icicle released the cloth and scooted closer to the Chief, who put his arm around the boy's shoulders once more. The warmth from the Oina's body felt more comforting than anything Icicle had ever experienced. "Father…" murmured Icicle, snuggling against Samickle's side.

The Chief smiled and let his chin rest on the teen's head. Their masks clacked against one another, so Samickle reached up and removed his own mask. He set it aside, careful not to place it too close to the fire.

Icicle gazed down at the bird mask, butterflies taking flight within his stomach as a thought crossed his mind. Gingerly, he lifted his mask from his face and tossed it beside Samickle's. Then, he looked up at Samickle, smiling. "Masks are not needed around family, right, Father?"

The Chief wrapped his other arm around Icicle and pulled him close in a loving embrace. "That is correct, My Child." Samickle lightly kissed the top of his son's head. He then buried his nose in the teen's hair, inhaling deep to memorize his scent.

That sat like that, in tranquil silence, until Icicle remembered the reason he was there in the first place. "Father," said the teen, pulling away, "is there a hut I could stay in?" The Chief nodded.

"Yes, of-" he stopped midsentence.

"Is something wrong?"

"Well, the only empty hut in Wep'keer is now being used by Sakura and Sasuke." Icicle sighed and stood.

"I suppose I will share," said the teen, walking to the door.

Samickle stood and walked over to his son. He slipped the wolf mask over the teen's face, a sad smile evident. Icicle frowned and gave him a hug. "Do not worry. I am not going to just disappear again."

"I know… I just can't quite believe it."

Samickle bit his lip as Icicle pulled away once more and began walking down the path. Visions of his son stepping calmly into a blizzard and disappearing plagued his mind, but he refused to call the boy back. Instead, he closed his eyes and the door to his hut.

Meanwhile, Icicle reached the other hut, the one marked with a moon. He knocked lightly on the door and waited. After a moment, the door opened.

"Sasuke," said Icicle, nodding his head in greeting. The boy smiled up at him.

"Hey, what's up?"

"I need a place to stay and-"

"Oh, you can stay here! Right, Sakura?" asked the boy, turning to look in the hut.

"No!" came the reply.

"Why?" asked Sasuke.

"He froze me!" Her voice stabbed small daggers in Icicle's stomach. He had not known they were the good guys when he fought them...

"But he's good now!" said Sasuke, putting his hands on his hips.

"He's not staying here!" screamed Sakura. Icicle sighed and placed a hand on his forehead. Perhaps he couldn't share with these siblings. Sasuke started to protest, but a hit to the head from Silver Flash silenced him.

"Okay, he's not staying here…" muttered the boy, rubbing his head. Icicle crossed his arms and started back up the hill. "So, where're ya goin'?" asked Sasuke, following the taller boy close to his heels.

"I'm going to tell Chief Samickle that I have to stay with him."

Icicle raised his hand to knock, but Sasuke beat him to it. The door opened and they were both ushered in by the Chief. "Back already? What happened?" asked Samickle, his voice slightly muffled by his mask.

Sasuke held his arms behind his back and swayed his upper body left and right. "Well… Sakura didn't like the idea of him staying with us."

Samickle bowed his head, thinking, then said, "Well, I suppose you could stay with Oki." Icicle's eyes widened at the mention of his 'mother'.

Feeling a bit eager, he asked, "Where does he live?" It still felt weird calling the one who apparently gave birth to him a 'he'.

"Oki resides in the hut on the outskirts of our village. He stays there as the line of defense for Wep'keer." Sasuke grinned and grabbed Icicle's sleeve.

"That's perfect! You guys can bond and keep an eye out for Raiden!" Icicle nodded and turned to leave.

"I shall go at once. Thank you for your assistance, Chief."

Sasuke shifted to wolf form and hurried down the hill. Icicle transformed as well and soon caught up to the pup. Red met amber, igniting inner fires. "Race ya!" shouted the black wolf, charging at full speed through a snowdrift. Icicle let out a deep bark and jumped against the wall of a hut, using it as a lift-off point to land in front of his comrade.

"Catch me if you can!" shouted Icicle, a smile forcing its way onto his face. The ice at Wep'keer's entrance forced Sasuke to slow considerably. Icicle, however, gracefully kept stride over the frozen water. _"I wonder if he can walk on regular water, too,"_ thought Sasuke, leaping from the snow surrounding the totem pole to the snow at the gates.

His paws slid out from under him as he landed. Surprised, he accidentally summoned his glaive, which clunked heavily as it tapped against part of the ice. Sasuke groaned and shook himself off. _"Gotta catch up… Or not…"_ Icicle had stopped and was now sitting a few feet away, waiting.

"Well? Are you coming?" asked the blue wolf, his tone a bit harsh. Sasuke nodded and trodded over to his comrade. Icicle started to take off running but stopped once more as he realized the pup was staring at him. And smiling.

Icicle cocked his head and asked, "Is there something wrong?"

"No, why?"

"You're staring." Sasuke groaned and looked away, his cheeks set ablaze by embarrassment.

"My bad; zoned out." Icicle rolled his eyes.

"To think I thought you might be having a vision." The blue wolf set off again, kicking snow up onto the pup.

"Augh!" Sasuke growled and ran after him. "Get back here!"

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**A/N 3/10/10:** Broke this chapter up into two smaller ones so that I could post something. Sorry for the wait.

Oh, I may not have any internet access for a week. Sorry if I can't post the next chapter soon. I'll try to have two chapters ready after a week to make up for it.


	25. New Home

**Chapter Twenty-Five: New Home**

**A/N 4/9/10: **Sorry for the long wait. I've been working on my books. Added 5,000 words to the _Thalkor_ story after intense editing. Trust me. It's an improvement.

Anyway, I'll try to get back on my old schedule of a chapter a week. Hopefully, the next chapter will be longer.

Song for today: _"Endless Sorrow"_ by Ayumi Hamasaki

Look up the English lyrics; or just ask me to PM them to you. They're pretty cool.

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Sasuke and Icicle jokingly traded threats and light attacks until they reached Oki's hut. Once there, they slowed to a stop and shifted back to human form. Sasuke's glaive weighed a bit heavy on his back so he willed it away in a flash of light.

Icicle knocked on the hut's door, then stepped back and waited. The door did not budge. He tapped his foot in annoyance and knocked again. Still, no one answered.

Sasuke raised up on his tiptoes, peering in one of the windows. He shrugged and sniffed the air. "This is definitely the place. He must be out hunting." Icicle sighed and jumped up onto the roof. The movement jarred clumps of snow, which fell and hit Sasuke. "Hey, watch it!" cried the young boy.

"I am watching." The teen sat down. "I am also waiting. Perhaps later I shall be writing, or maybe even writhing." Icicle smirked beneath his mask and shrugged his shoulders. "Just depends on the weather."

Sasuke crossed his arms to feign annoyance, but the smile on his face betrayed his body language. With a grunt of effort, he leapt up onto the roof and plopped down beside Icicle. His ears twitched in the cold wind. He leaned against Icicle, exhaling a visible breath and shivering. The teen sighed mentally and raised his arm to rest on the younger boy's shoulders. Sasuke smiled and hugged Icicle; beneath his mask, the Oina warrior's eye twitched.

"Hey, Icicle, I have a question." Sasuke looked up at the teen innocently. "Is the blue wolf your original mask?" Icicle blinked a few times in succession. Then, he turned his head, his brows furrowing as he thought. Was it his original mask design?

Finally, he said, "No, I do not think so… I think my original mask was a cat…" Sasuke snorted and covered his mouth. Icicle frowned and whapped the boy on the back of the head. "Little brat."

"No, I'm, I'm sorry…" Every few seconds he snickered. His knuckles turned white as he tried to silence himself. He managed to ask, "A cat? Really?"

"I guess so." Icicle glared at him. "I can't even remember my real name! How do you expect me to remember my original mask?" The boy shrugged and looked out to the snow-covered hills. Flakes of ice scattered from tree limbs as a strong gust whooshed by.

"You don't need your old name." Icicle cocked his head. Sasuke's eyes seemed distant, as if staring at something that was not there. "Your current name and mask make up who you are now; a past version of either one would not do." Black wolf ears flattened, nearly disappearing against tresses of human hair. "Besides, I like you the way you are now. Isn't that all that matters?"

"I suppose… Though I am not sure why your opinion matters more that another's." Sasuke smiled at him, and in that moment, the teen wondered just how the young pup was connected to his destiny. Then, he sighed heavily and pulled the boy close. "Stay warm, Sake. Last thing Sakkie needs is you getting sick."

"Right. My apologies."

"How old are you again, pup?"

"Five of course!" answered Sasuke.

Icicle gave Sasuke a surprised look. "You're five? How come you're okay with fighting demons and nearly being killed?" Sasuke shrugged and closed his eyes. His head rested on the teen's chest. His wolf ears picked up a strong heartbeat beneath the fabric and skin.

"I think being a demi-god has something to do with it. That and the prophecies. You can deal with things better once you expect them."

"True."

Silence overcame them and they sat together until the sun began to dip beneath the hills surrounding them. _ Crunch._ Sasuke stood and looked over the roof's edge. He grinned as a blue-robed Oina toting rabbits on his back came into sight.

"Oki! Glad you're back! Listen-" Sasuke stopped midsentence to yelp as the snow under his feet shifted, sending him crashing to the ground. Icicle gazed down at the pup for a moment. Then, he silently stepped off the edge, landing smoothly on his feet.

"Icicle," said Oki, stopping in his tracks. Red met red and Icicle walked forward. Behind him, Sasuke stood and shook himself off.

The boy said, "Hey, Oki, we were just wondering if-"

"I need a place to stay, Mother." Icicle's voice was sharp.

"Then stay with me." Oki motioned for Icicle to follow him into the house. Sasuke flashed the teen a thumbs up and ran off, shifting to wolf form in the process. Water from melting icicles dropped down the teen's collar, sending a shiver down his spine. A deep breath filling his lungs, Icicle stepped through the threshold, Kutone trembling silently in its scabbard.


	26. Hunting with Mother

**Chapter Twenty-Six: Hunting with Mother**

**A/N 5/15/10:** A piece for Icicle and Oki, and a piece for Amaterasu and Raiden. Sorry for the long wait. Research had to be done. Prom had to be prepared for and experienced. Family problems had to be dealt with.

Oh. That reminds me. I still need to Beta that member's fic... Any tips on Betaing?

BTW, writing in third-person after writing in first-person for a month is hard. Tell me if you notice any switches in tense.

OMG! This chapter makes this fic pass the 40,000 word count mark! :D Accomplishment achieved!

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Icicle grimaced as another wave of nausea shook his body. He had no reason to be nervous. He had been hunting plenty of times with Moonbeam and Crescent. But today, as he waited by the edge of Yoshpet, he was on the verge of retching. "There is so much on the line. What if I mess up? What if he decides that I am too useless to keep around? What if I lose my family just when I have found it?" He let out a whine, and kicked a pile of snow with his paw. "Kami, I am such a wreck. All of my training has gone up in flames."

"I should hope not." Icicle straightened up, bowing his head slightly as Oki approached. "Though, I suppose it would be nice to teach my pup how to hunt." The Oina nuzzled Icicle's cheek where the mask did not cover it. "Keep your eyes peeled. This forest is dangerous."

"I know, Mother," said Icicle flatly. "I lived in it."

Oki momentarily flattened his ears. "Oh. Right."

"Uh, but thank you for the thought," said Icicle, bowing in respect. Oki smiled fondly at the teen. Their tails wagged a few times; Oki's tail whapped against the large bow on his back.

"So, I assume you have already prayed to the gods, Icicle." The teen cocked his head.

"No… Crescent never had us do that."

"But you have prayed multiple times since we have met." Icicle thought back, trying to figure out what would constitute a prayer.

"Oh, you mean the element thing. Yeah, I say that, but not when I go hunting." Oki's shocked look made his skin crawl. Already, he had appalled his Mother. "But I'll start right now." He shifted to human form and drew Kutone. He held it out before him. His hands tightened on the hilt. "Earth, wind, sea, ice, give me your strength. Kutone, light my way with your silver flame. Grace me with a bountiful hunt."

Icicle sliced the air in a flurry of strokes, then sheathed the sword. Then, he shifted back to wolf form. A faint howl sounded. Kutone trembled in its sheath. "Well, that was not the traditional prayer," said Oki, "but I think the Kamui heard you." Icicle glanced around.

"Yeah, I think so..."

"Well, let's get going," said Oki, starting into Yoshpet. "If you get lost, stay in one place and howl." He paused momentarily. 'Unless you end up beside one of those trees that throw fruit. Then, hide behind a normal tree and howl."

"Okay, Mother."

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"Waka, are you sure you saw him here?"

"Yes, ma cherie," answered Waka from the doorway. Amaterasu let out a deep growl, baring her fangs as she stepped further into the Tsuta Ruins. The area was dark; she could hardly see more than a few inches past her front paws.

"Waka, is it a curse creating this darkness?"

"Yes, Amaterasu." She yelped and turned, taking on a fighting stance. The blond beside her smiled sheepishly. "My apologies. I thought you could feel my presence." She shook her head sadly.

"No. Not since Raiden took my powers." She let out a small whine. "I do not know why I wanted to find him. I cannot fight in this form. I do not have Solar Flare, or even Divine Retribution."

"You have overcome worse obstacles."

"True. But-" A sudden flash of light silenced her. Waka drew his swords and held them up defensively. The duo peered up into the darkness. The light was coming from far above. "There is a statue in here, isn't there?"

"Yes, ma cherie."

"Can you get me up there?"

"Of course." He sheathed his blades and picked Amaterasu up around her waist. Her paws pushed against him as her muscles tensed. He scratched behind her ears with his free hand. "Worry not. I shall not drop you."

"You may not have a choice if lightning strikes."

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Icicle lowered his head and stalked past a set of trees. He sniffed the ground. Small tracks formed a trail. Rabbit. Ears swiveled in an effort to catch even the slightest hint of-there!

He lunged, paws first, slamming down atop a warm mass of fur. A quick bite to the neck stopped the rabbit's squirming. "Good. That makes three." He shifted to human form and tied the rabbit to a branch far off the ground. Then, he howled. After a few moments, a howl answered. "Now, for the next-"

"Hunter!" cried a shrill voice. For a second, Icicle thought he had just heard a bird. "Hunter!" It was closer, angrier. His eyes widened. A woman stood in the small clearing just ahead. Feathers covered her hair. No. They **were** her hair. A necklace of fangs decorated her neck, and various weapons were strapped to her limbs. She leaned forward. Her arms were elongated, giving her the appearance of a wolf. Fingers ended in bear claws. Her lips curled, revealing fangs stained crimson. The faint silhouette of a tail sprouted from her rear end. Icicle met her gaze and felt his blood freeze.

The whites of her eyes were orange, and the irises were a sickly yellow. Slit pupils expanded and contracted as a spindly tongue peeked out from between fangs.

"Yes, look into my eyes, Hunter. Come closer; follow me to the swamp." Icicle felt his body begin to move. His mind screamed for him to stop, but his legs would not obey. His body was numb. The woman reached out her arms expectantly. The long tongue tasted the air, getting a good whiff of his fear.

Kutone rattled in its sheath. The woman cocked her head and gazed intently at the blade. Feeling flooded back into his limbs. The rattling grew stronger as he struggled to reach for the sword. She screeched, "A hunter with **His** sword? Sacrilege!"

The woman leapt forward just as Icicle drew Kutone. The silver blade sliced cleanly through her torso. The two halves of her body fell to either side. Icicle stepped back, Kutone held offensively. Then, he realized something.

There was no blood on his blade.

Glancing around, he found no blood staining the snow. "That could only mean..."

That is correct, Hunter," said the woman, lifting her head. Flesh mended and bones cracked back in place. "I am a god, a Kamui." She stood. Her tail snapped the branch the rabbit was tied to. "Kenash Unarabe Kamui to be exact." Bloody drool trickled from between her fangs.

Icicle raised his blade. "Why do you wish to fight? Are you working for the Moon Warriors?"

"I am a hunter of hunters. I work for no one; I slay those who I believe have wronged the Kamui." She stepped closer. Kutone flashed brighter silver for a moment.

"I have done no wrong."

"Not yet, but I know your allies. Raiden has stolen the powers of a god. You are only the first to pay." She grabbed for him, but he cut her hand away. A scream sounded, sending throbbing pain through his head. Kutone fell to the ground. Icicle covered his ears, feeling as though his eyeballs were going to explode. His eyes clenched tightly closed.

"Augh! Shut up!" The screaming continued. A wet tongue curled around his neck and lifted him from the ground. Hands grabbed his sides, crushing his ribs until they cracked. "Gah!" Kenash's upper half stretched up until her face was even with his. The corners of her mouth arched in a smile. The tongue dropped away, and she bit at his face, splintering his mask. As she pulled away, he muttered, "Why…? Why is my mask always destroyed?"

"Because it is sacrilege. A disgusting mutt cannot wear the pelt of a purebred." She threw him harshly to the right, slamming him into a tree hard enough to snap it in half. Her body molded back into a semi-normal shape, and she raced forward on all fours. Kenash's body moved fluidly, unnaturally easy for one who wore a human guise.

Icicle shifted to wolf form and leapt to the side, just missing being pinned by Kenash. He cried, "Kogoeshinu!" and jumped over a log. A wave of ice overtook the woman. He scrambled for Kutone, grasping the blade's hilt in his teeth. The sword jutted out to his right, glittering brightly with silver flames.

As he turned and took a fighting stance, the ice shattered and Kenash screamed to the Celestial Plains, "Foolish pup! Your fangs shall join those of the fallen!"

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"Rakurai!" The area around Waka exploded in flashes of light as bolt after bolt of lightning hit. He landed momentarily on the side of the giant statue, then pushed off, just missing another attack. He spiraled upward, barreling straight through a thick layer of storm clouds.

"Waka, toss me!" He obeyed, hurling Amaterasu as hard as he could. She landed running and headbutted a red and black wolf. "Time to cough up my powers, Raiden!" The other wolf smirked and bit at her. She stepped back just in time to avoid the jaws.

"Sorry, Ammy, but I'm not playing around anymore. That whole 'Ark Episode' was fun, but it's time to get serious." She growled and tackled him. They rolled around, trading bites and scratches, neither noticing as they drew nearer to the edge. With an angry bark, she pinned him half off the statue's top. Raiden's neck cracked as she pushed his head further and further back.

"Tell me, if I snap your neck, will my powers flood back into me?" The yellow aura around him surged. Red markings pulsed with power as demonic eyes narrowed.

"That's some talk for a goddess. Did you learn that from Tsukuyomi or from your dear husband?"

"Silence!" She bit at him, pushing them off balance. They teetered off the edge and tumbled through the air into darkness. The only thing Amaterasu could truly see was the yellow glow of her foe. "Galestorm!" called the white wolf forlornly. Raiden smirked, not feeling an ounce of fear as they fell.

"Forget it, O' Great One. Your gods are mine now." Amaterasu whimpered and closed her eyes. Memories of Orochi and the fall to Nippon flooded her mind. Her powers had not assisted then. What had saved her was landing in a lake.

Raiden's markings surged again. He scowled. Something was wrong.

"_Mother of us all..."_

Amaterasu opened her eyes. A warm draft of air wrapped around her, stopping her descent. Raiden sunk his claws into the statue. They dug deep ruts, but eventually, he slowed to a stop. He leapt onto a hovering pink flower and glared down at the floating wolf.

"_Origin of all that is good..."_

Amaterasu stood on thin air. Red markings faintly pulsed along her sides.

"_Please, blow away the evil fog that blankets this area. Take my powers and free my brethren." _

White hot pain shot through Raiden's body. He nearly let out a scream, only containing it by biting his lip until it bled. A bubble of light marked with a Kanji struggled to break away from his chest. With a sudden surge of strength, it crackled and flew into the air. Raiden yelled in pain and fell onto his side. As he gulped down oxygen, the orb circled the two wolves. A neigh sounded, and the orb turned into a white and red horse. It galloped down to Amaterasu, rearing up just in time to avoid trampling her.

"_Okami Amaterasu, mother and origin of all that is good..."_ The horse bowed. The banner on its saddle waved proudly. _"I, Kazegami, am at your service once more."_ The brush god shifted back to a bubble of power. It circled her once last time before flying into her chest. The faint markings on her white coat glowed brilliantly. A reflector appeared on her back in a flash of light.

New energy flowing through her veins, Amaterasu howled to the Celestial Plains.


	27. Interruptions

**Chapter Twenty-Seven: Interruptions**

**A/N 5/17/10: **I'm going to go back and read over this whole fic. Continuity and all that. I'll probably revise some stuff while I'm at it. No point in you guys rereading, because I'll probably only rewrite Sakura's running away scenes to give more motive and personality.

BTW, "Bird and the Worm Twisted Version" by The Used, made Twisted by Tacohero. Awesome music. Creepy and makes ya think of darkness. Well, it makes me think of darkness. Don't know about you, though.

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"Saewataru!" Snow jutted up into the air, creating a wall of ice. Kenash's fist slammed against the frozen water. She bared her fangs.

"Pitiful fool!" Her hand shattered the ice in a shower of glinting shards. The Kamui grabbed Icicle by his scruff and tossed him across the clearing. He slid through the treeline, scraping his shoulder on a rock hidden just under the snow. He staggered, breath coming in pants, and leapt behind a tree. "I'll rip your throat out!" The trunk splintered as Kenash charged through it. She turned on her heel, throwing a set of knives at him. Kutone spun on his back, knocking the blades away with ease. Icicle took one in his jaws and jumped over a fallen trunk, racing into the clearing once more.

He shifted to human form and grabbed the knife. He hurled it as hard as he could. "Pathetic!" cried Kenash, sending a blade to meet his in midair. The knives fell to the ground, then disappeared in a puff of smoke. "No weapons can hurt me, especially not my own." Icicle gritted his teeth. He drew Kutone from its sheath. The Kamui slightly backed away.

"If no weapon can hurt you," asked Icicle, holding out the sword, "then why do you fear Kutone?"

"I only fear what Ae-oina Kamui will do to you when he finds you have taken his blade." His eyes widened. He had heard that name before.

"Who is that? Who is Ae-oina Kamui?" Kenash curled her lip. Her tail swished, slicing a tree in half.

"Disgusting. You steal the Divine Instruments of those you do not even know?" Her claws gouged the earth. "You shall not leave this place alive!" She galloped forward on all-fours. Icicle braced himself, Kutone raised to guard his face.

"_Enough!"_ called a thunderous voice. Icicle flinched and looked around, his head lowered in fear. Kenash stopped in place and turned her gaze to the sky. Icicle could see nothing alive, but the suffocating aura around them suggested there was something up there. _"Kenash Unarabe, stand down."_ She growled and flicked her tail. Something snarled, sending shivers up Icicle's spine. Kutone rattled so hard, he nearly dropped it. The Kamui bowed, nearly getting a faceful of snow.

"As you wish, Father and origin of all that is good." Icicle cocked his head. Such a title is not often heard. "I shall return at once." The presence dissipated. Kenash shot him a dirty look. "Our paths shall cross again, Hunter." Then, she grinned. Her eyes took on an ominous glow. _"A thousand years of darkness follows in your wake. Those you hold dear shall crumble and fall." _

A horrific scream sounded, and Kenash disappeared in a flurry of snow.

Icicle sighed and sheathed Kutone. "I guess eventually I'll find out if that prophecy is right." Snowflakes stung his eyes, making him wince. He rubbed his face with his sleeve. "Stupid snow. Better find Mom and tell him I need to go see Tuskle. Again."

-----------------------space------------------------

Raiden let out a deep snarl. His fur bristled, and the electricity around him crackled. "It matters not if you control wind!" called the demon to Amaterasu. "I am still your superior!" He lunged forward off the flower. "Rakurai!" Lighting struck the white wolf. She fell a few feet before being caught by the wind again. He slid against the statue, claws sparking, before landing on another flower.

"Raiden..." said Amaterasu, fangs bared. "I know not how you have survived this long, but know that it ends here!"

"Then I better give you the gift from Moonbeam," said Raiden, smiling evilly. "Hope you're listening from the shadows, Waka! _The past is revived. A final song shall sound._" Then, he cleared his throat and...sang. _"Please tell me how to live less guarded than I am now! Please taint me, just a little!"_ Amaterasu stood speechless, wondering if the demon had finally gone off the deep end.

From the darkness answered a feminine voice, _"In that way, alone, even if I'm hurt!"_

"_Or lose those around me!"_ called another female.

"_The song of truth will flow in my heart!"_ sang a male from the shadows.

"_The song of truth will be my guide!" _finished Raiden, tears streaking down his cheeks.

The flames on Amaterasu's reflector surged. She looked around, angry and confused. "Who all is out there? Waka?"

"It would seem," said Raiden, "that he has deserted you once again. Last to a fight, first to leave. Right, Waka Laka?" There was no response from the blackness. The tears dried, and Raiden scowled. "Oh, should I call you 'ma cherie'?" Amaterasu growled and wall jumped against the statue. She tackled Raiden, knocking them both from the plant. "Oh, not again!" cried Raiden as they fell. "You stupid goddess!"

"What's wrong? Scared?"

"No, just annoyed!" The electricity around him pulsed and shot through their bodies. Amaterasu let out a mix between a scream and a howl. He bit into her shoulder, keeping her from pulling away. _Splash!_ The two wolves broke apart and struggled to the surface of the river. Amaterasu vainly tried to summon a lily pad. Raiden succeeded in doing so, and sneered down at her.

"Oh, shut up, you mangy demon," said Amaterasu, paddling to stay afloat.

"But I'm just about to-" Raiden froze and swiveled his ears. His expression darkened and his markings glowed. "On my way…" he said flatly. He jumped to the shore and started to walk away. He paused to say, "Next time, Amaterasu, you will not be so lucky." Then, he left the area, the darkness dispelling as he did.

"I am getting really sick of these mind games." Something lifted Amaterasu out of the water. Waka looked down at her, sorrow in his eyes.

"As am I, ma cherie."

"Where were you?" asked the goddess, not finding it odd he was effortlessly standing on the water's surface. Waka looked away, but she caught a glimpse of the tears in his eyes.

"I was facing my past."

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**A/N 5/17/10:** Why was this a separate chapter? It just felt right. Where is the song Raiden sung from? InuYasha. _"Shinjitsu no Uta." _Wish I could put the lyrics in Japanese, but then you wouldn't know what they meant.


	28. Of Prophecies and Poncles

**Chapter Twenty-Eight: Of Prophecies and Poncles**

**A/N 11/14/10:** I am so ashamed. I started this chapter in March and just now finished it. Please forgive me for doing that to you guys. I was focusing on my original writings, and... Well, if it is any consolation, I have almost finished a book, have written at least fifty poems, and have improved ten-fold in my drawing capabilities.

Now, if I could just do something about my procrastination. Anyway, this is the start of a new arc. Welcome to the Poncle Arc!

-space-

"Okay, now that Icicle has been caught up on our story so far, let's move on. What prophecies have we been told?" asked Sasuke, looking to the companions that sat across from him. Sakura crossed her arms and frowned. With a sigh, he said, "Fine. I'll go first." He chuckled. "You know mine is best anyway. Straight from Agata Forest: _Beware of the white wolf, for with it comes death. A helping hand is not always good."_

"I better not be that wolf," said Sakura. "But at least we know that the 'helping hand' was Raiden." Sasuke nodded. His sister scratched one of her ears. "Well, I talked to the woman in Agata Forest as well. She told me: _A hunter is coming; with him is darkness. Run for your life; be wary of familiar faces." _

"That sounds like Raiden, doesn't it?" asked Sasuke. "He seems like a hunter of gods or possible Moon Warriors."

"No," said Icicle, eyes narrowing beneath his mask. "It sounds more like Kenash Unarabe Kamui."

Sakura cocked her head. "Who?"

"An Oina goddess who attacked me yesterday. She kept calling me 'Hunter' and then said she was a 'Hunter of Hunters'." Sasuke sighed and rubbed his chin. His ears flattened against his head.

"Gods attacking innocents. Moon Warriors running around ruining lives. Prophecies popping up left and right."

"I'll say." Icicle crossed his arms. He coughed to clear his throat. "_A new life is formed. History repeats itself._ _The time to wield Kutone has come again. A silver glow shall light the way." _ He paused, hands clenching as he remembered the daunting orange eyes."And from Kenash:_ A thousand years of darkness follows in your wake. Those you hold dear shall crumble and fall._"

"Lovely," said Sakura, propping her head up on her hand. "We're completely doomed."

Sasuke smirked. His ears twitched as he leaned near his sister. "You're just now figuring that out?"

Sakura growled and bared her fangs. "Shut up-"

"Hey, Sasuke! Sakura!" The trio looked toward the voice. A little brown dog galloped up to them, a broad grin on his face.

"Ita!" Sasuke returned the smile and leaned forward on his frozen seat.

"Sake, Sakkie, good to see you," said the dog. His gaze shifted from his friend to Icicle. His eyes widened in fear. "Ah, Icicle!" He took on a fighting stance. The orb around his neck pulsed with energy. Kutone rattled until Icicle obliged and drew it. They squared off, growling warningly.

Sasuke stepped between them. The short boy stared back and forth at the duo, determination empowering his gaze. "Ita, he's on our side now." The Canine Warrior frowned and stepped toward Icicle. The teen raised his blade. "Come on, guys. We fight enough with Raiden. Why can't we just sit down and listen to a story?" Ita's ears perked.

"A story?" Sasuke grinned. He clasped his hands behind his back.

"Yep. It's the story of a little pup who ended up fighting for the wrong team."

Icicle sighed. He covered his eyes with his hand. "Stop making it sound so childish. It is my life story for kamui's sake."

"Life story?" Ita cocked his head. "Are there lots of awesome fight scenes?"

"Of course!" cried Sasuke. "Now have a seat and I'll tell you everything!" Ita obeyed, sitting on Sakura's right. Sasuke sat on her other side, and was joined by Icicle after he sheathed Kutone. "So, here we go..."

-space-

"So, now you know," said Sasuke in a serious voice. Then, he smirked and extended his hand to the dog. "Wanna join our group of heroes?"

Ita jumped up and barked. He placed his paw on the boy's palm. "Of course!" His tail wagged so fast, it was no more than a blur.

Icicle frowned beneath his mask. "But I thought you were one of the Satomi Canine Warriors," said the teen. "How can you have time to help us?"

Ita's ears flattened. "Well, I could not help much, but I'm sure Princess Fuse would allow us to assist if you need back-up. Protecting the safety of the gods is one of our duties."

Sakura grinned. "That's right!" she shouted, punching the air. "After all of this is over, I'll definitely be deemed a goddess!"

Sasuke covered his face with his hand. "Oh, not this again…"

"Hey!" called a new voice. Sasuke looked around, but saw no one approaching.

"Who said that?" A bright green orb jumped out of Ita's fur onto his short snout. "Issun?" The Poncle crossed his arms and flashed red.

"Of course it's me, kid! I've been sittin' here the whole time listenin' to your story!" Ita smiled sheepishly, ashamed to have forgotten his mission. "Now, can we get going? I promised to be home today."

Sasuke nodded. "We'll escort you in case Raiden appears. Right, guys?"

Icicle shifted to wolf form and barked. "Right!"

Sakura transformed as well, Silver Flash appearing on her back. "Anything to be a god." Sasuke's glaive appeared on his back as he shifted form. He shook himself off, creating a little storm of snow. Sakura barked and began wiping at her face. "How do you manage to get snowy when there's no blizzard?"

Sasuke shrugged. "Magic?"

"God magic," said Ita.

"From the moon," added Icicle, motioning at the sky.

Sakura groaned and began trudging toward Yoshpet. "I hate you guys..."

-space-

"Are you sure you'll be okay?" asked Sasuke. "Do you want us to sniff around and-"

"I'll be fine, kid!" cried Issun, glowing green as he bounced on the outer edge of Ponc'tan Village. "All us Poncles have a deadly forest to protect us. And if that fails, I'll just use Denkomaru to take care of it. Now get goin' already! Raiden isn't gonna wait around for you to beat him!"

"All right. Let's go, guys." Sasuke set off, followed by his three friends. Ita quickly trotted to the front of the group. He held his head high, and smiled confidently.

"Mission complete!" He barked excitedly. "Oh, Princess Fuse will be so proud of me!"

Icicle snorted, sending a small cloud of mist out from under his mask. He padded ahead, tail waving as he moved. "I am going to make sure the forest is clear. Do not wait up." He trotted off into the darkness of Yoshpet.

"But we should..." Sasuke sighed. "Have fun, Icicle."

After a few minutes, Sakura bared her fangs. Silver Flash surged brightly as she turned around. "I think I hear something. I'm going back to investigate." She raced off, sending a shower of snow crashing down on her brother.

"No, Sakura!" Sasuke shook himself off. "We should stick together!"

"Don't worry; I'll protect her!" shouted Ita, following her. The orb at his throat glowed as he drew from its power, allowing him to move at a rapid pace.

"Aw..." Sasuke started to go after them, but stopped as something moved to his right. "What...?" His glaive swiveled as he cautiously stepped toward it. "Raiden?"

A red ball of light bounced out of the darkness. "Issun?"

"Think again, Blackie," said the Poncle. "The name's Ishaku." He jumped onto Sasuke's snout.

"I'm sorry. You look just like-"

"So what? All Poncles look alike now?" Ishaku whapped him between the eyes. The wolf yelped and shook his head, sending the Poncle flying. "Hey! Watch it, furball!" cried Ishaku, drawing a sword. He bounced at Sasuke, slicing at his paws.

"Whoa! Ah! Look out!" Sasuke dodged each swipe by raising his paws and stepping back. "Stop attacking me!" Ishaku leapt up and landed on the wolf's nose.

"I'll let ya go on one condition: let me ride around on ya without tellin' anyone I'm here."

"What? Are you hiding from Raiden?"

"Er... Yeah, that's it." His glow shifted to green. "Hide me before it's too late!"

Sasuke lightly nodded. "Right. I'll do it." The Poncle sheathed his sword and burrowed into his neck fur. "Hey, don't pull so hard! Ow!" The wolf shook himself instinctively.

"Stop movin' so much so I can get comfortable!" cried Ishaku, gripping the fur tighter. Sasuke bit his lip and stood absolutely still. His skin crawled as the Poncle shifted like a little flea. After an agonizing amount of time, he heard, "There. Now you can get goin'."

"Thank kami. Now, to find my sister! ...And Ita!"

-space-

**A/N 11/14/10:** Sorry for the long wait! I'll share an awesome song with you to make up for it: _"Walking in the Air"_ by Celtic Women. Also, check out _"The Voice"_ by the same artist. Those are two awesome songs.^^


	29. The Wandering Artist

**Chapter Twenty-Nine: The Wandering Artist**

**A/N 11/15/10:** Song of the Day: _"Sorairo Days English Fandub"_ by geekyfandubs of YouTube. Go listen to it because it is awesome and the singer is amazing. Need a link? Message me.

-space-

Sasuke's breath came in pants as he raced through Yoshpet. "Sakura? Ita?" he called. He stopped and gazed around in confusion. All the sinister trees looked the same to him. Suddenly, a flicker of silver in the shadows. "Sakura?" He galloped between two trees and crashed straight into someone.

"Ow! Ugh..." He smiled sheepishly as Sakura growled at him. Her fangs were bared warningly.

"Sasuke..."

"Pardon, Soeur," he said, bowing his head. "I couldn't stop."

"Whatever," said Sakura. She wiped a glob of snow off of her muzzle. "We have other things to worry about right now."

Sasuke took on a fighting stance. "Like what? Raiden? Crescent? Moonbeam?"

"A runaway Poncle, actually," said Ita, ears flat against his head. Issun stood upon his nose, glowing bright red. Sasuke's eyes widened. He started to open his mouth, but a sharp tug on his fur silenced him. "Issun's son, Ishaku Junior, has run away from Ponc'tan."

"And while he was at it, the brat took my sword!" cried Issun, bouncing up and down. "Denkomaru, the Lucky Mallet, and my scroll of the Celestial Brush strokes! All gone!" The Poncle yelled loudly in frustration and hopped off of Ita. "Forget it! I'm goin' back to Ponc'tan! If he shows up, bring him home so I can tan his hide!"

Sasuke let out a quiet whine. "But...I thought you did the same thing when you were a kid. That's how you met Mom." Issun stopped in his tracks. His glow flickered green.

"I had my reasons for doin' that. Ishaku didn't. I gave him all the freedom he could ever want, and he still ran off." The Poncle sighed. "Guess you just can't please some guys, huh?" He began bouncing away again.

"See you guys in Wep'keer," said the Canine Warrior, trotting after Issun.

Sasuke looked to the ground. His ears were flat, and a heavy weight had settled in his stomach. "Yeah... See you later."

Sakura walked past him, head held high. "Let's go, Sake. Icicle's probably waiting for us." He nodded and followed her. His footfalls felt distant, unconnected to his racing brain. _"I should have said something to Issun, but... Maybe Ishaku will go home of his own accord after I talk to him. And maybe this was all meant to be by the gods."_ He smiled faintly. _"Yeah, that's it. Ishaku was meant to run into me alone. I bet he's my Celestial Envoy!"_ He jumped playfully, his mood lifting. He pranced forward through the snow.

However, a rough pulling on his fur brought him back to reality. "Stop movin', furball!" whispered the Poncle angrily.

Sasuke groaned and resumed trudging through the forest. _"On second thought, I think I'd rather this not be destiny. Envoys are overrated anyway."_

-space-

When they reached Wep'keer, Sakura went off to see if Icicle had seen the runaway Poncle. Sasuke slunk off to Lake Laochi, intent on having a word with his passenger. The lake shore was silent as usual. There were no signs of life aside from the few tendrils of smoke pluming from Tuskle's hut. "How odd..." The door leading to Wawku Shrine was open.

Ishaku pulled on his fur. "Let's go check it out, Blackie. It could be the work of a demon."

"Right." He ran through the gate and up the hill to the shrine. A strange calm hung in the air. No animals chirped or skittered about. There was not even a wind blowing. However, when he stopped outside the shrine, he saw nothing abnormal. "Guess someone just forgot to close the door."

"I dunno, furball. I think we should go in."

"Fine. We will. After a quick talk." The Poncle glowed red and jumped onto his nose.

"A talk? Heroes don't have time to talk! We gotta get movin' so I can draw some awesome action scenes!"

"Is that why you ran away from home?"

Ishaku crossed his arms. "So what if it is? Real artists don't wait for inspiration. They go out and fight until they get the right scene to draw."

"Still... You shouldn't have taken your father's things." His eyes narrowed. "You heard Issun, didn't you? He's worried about you."

"Let him worry! I got places to go, things to do!" cried Ishaku.

"Listen, my sister did the same thing not too long ago. I even went along with it, and you know what happened? We ended up nearly getting ourselves and our parents killed." The Poncle's glow flickered green. "Now, we're lucky that we haven't been murdered by Raiden or any of the Moon Warriors. Things will never be the same thanks to our stupidity. Don't make the same mistake. Go home and make amends."

Ishaku stood silent, glowing yellow as he pondered the wolf's words. Sasuke's tail slowly wagged as hope filled him.

Then, Ishaku drew his sword. A mallet appeared above him out of thin air and began glowing yellow. "What is that?" asked Sasuke. He backed away, knocking the Poncle off. Ishaku landed on the ground. He held his sword up.

"That's the Lucky Mallet, and this is Denkomaru." Fragments of light floated down from the mallet and overtook the Poncle. He grew until he was the size of a normal human teenager. His crimson helmet was topped by two beetle horns. Red armor covered his body. His high, black ponytail hung just past his shoulders.

"Whoa..." The Lucky Mallet disappeared in another flash of light. Sasuke's glaive spun on his back.

Ishaku brandished his own blade, which had also changed to normal size. "Give me somethin' worth drawin' and maybe I'll heed your advice and go home!" They took on fighting stances. "Let's go, furball!

They rushed each other, blades meeting in a shower of sparks. Sasuke dodged under his foe's sword and swung at his exposed side. Ishaku jumped back to avoid the attack. "Ha! Missed, Blackie!" The Poncle charged him, swinging Denkomaru at his head. The blade just missed Sasuke's muzzle. The wolf growled and bit at Ishaku.

"Powerslash!" Sasuke was knocked backwards. He skidded in the snow on his side. Ishaku smirked and twirled Denkomaru. "Betcha weren't expectin' that, huh, furball?"

Sasuke stood, ignoring the pain in his chest. He scoffed. "So you can use the brush strokes. Big deal. You're, like, the fifth person to figure 'em out." The glaive on his back whirled and his markings pulsed. "I can fight just fine without any god techniques."

"Bring it, Sake." The wolf barked, and they ran at each other. Their weapons clashed loudly. The brush end of Denkomaru stained the snow black as it moved. Soon, the duo found themselves at a stalemate. Every attack was blocked by another with hardly any effort. "Pathetic mutt! Can't ya even make this interestin'?"

"Fine!" Sasuke focused all of his energy on his glaive. "Face the full strength of my Moon Glaive!" He swung with all his might. The glaive sent out a wave of blue energy that overwhelmed Ishaku. It ripped apart the ground and sent the Poncle crashing into his back.

"Ugh..." Ishaku shakily stood. With a smile, he raised Denkomaru to his shoulder. "That was pretty cool. Now, try it again, Blackie." He took on a fighting stance. "And this time, actually mean it."

Sasuke snarled and prepared another attack. The Lunar Trinity on his glaive pulsed with power.

_CRACK!_ Sasuke's eyes widened. "That sound..." He looked around in horror. The icy walls around the shrine were splintered. As the gouges widened, the sound grew louder. Mounds of snow slid off of the hills, a warning for what was to come. "Ishaku, we gotta get out of here!"

"Oh, no kidding, furball!" The duo raced to the shrine. Ishaku yanked the doors open and ran inside, followed closely by Sasuke. They slammed the doors shut just in time to hear the loud roar of snow and ice crumbling around the shrine. They braced the door and waited for it to end.

"Well," said Sasuke as it grew quiet, "I suppose it was a draw."

"Stupid mutt..." Ishaku sheathed his sword and looked around. "So, this is Wawku Shrine." A large enclosed tower disappeared into the high ceiling. Ice covered every surface, and a snowflake design adorned every door. A cool wind wafted out from the gate of the tower. It ruffled Sasuke's fur and carried with it the scent of cherry blossoms.

"Guess we're going up."

The duo walked through the gate of the tower. They stepped onto the design of a clock. It covered the whole floor, and was marked with the kanji of the zodiac animals. "Look," said Sasuke, motioning at the Rabbit with his nose, "this isn't just a calendar. It's a clock."

"I know my numbers, Blackie." Ishaku kicked at the Dragon's kanji. "I just wanna know what time it's gotta be for us to find the stairs."

"I don't think there are stairs. This seems a lot like the elevator platform in Lunar Mountain." Sasuke trotted around the circle. "There must be some number we activate that gets the hands moving."

Ishaku rolled his eyes. "What, ya plan on waitin' around all night, hopin' it gets goin'?"

"Just start tapping on the zodiac. If you hear a noise, you did good."

The duo began pressing on each of the kanji names. However, even after a full sweep, nothing had happened. "Err... Try the numbers this time."

"Nothing is happening, furball. Your plan is a failure."

Sasuke whimpered and sat down in the center of the clock. "I don't get it. That tactic worked before."

Ishaku chuckled and pulled out Denkomaru. He began doodling on the floor with the brush end of the sword. "Too bad there aren't four of us, eh? Then we could stand at the four main kanji and pretend to actually know what we're doin'."

Sasuke's tail began wagging in excitement. His ears perked. "That's it! Quick, go stand at the Rabbit!"

"Oh, what now?" asked the Poncle.

"The Rabbit and Rooster-sunrise and sunset. They're the only times when the sun and moon overlap." Ishaku looked at him as though he was crazy, but still obeyed the command. "Okami Amaterasu the sun goddess, and the Moon Tribe. Their paths overlapped long ago, and now they do so again." Sasuke shifted to human form. "Stab Denkomaru into the space between the name kanji and the number." Once again, the Poncle did as he was told. Sasuke summoned his glaive to his hand and did the same. "Now, let the hands of time spin once more! Awaken, Wawku Shrine!"

The hilt of the glaive split apart. The Lunar Trinity began glowing blue. It spun in place, and slowly, the hands of the clock began to move as well. The hands moved faster and faster, until they became no more than a blur. Then, they stopped suddenly on the Rabbit and Rooster. The floor began to move toward the unseen peak of the tower.

"I hope there is an opening up there," said Sasuke, shifting back to wolf form.

"If there's not, we'll just make one, Blackie."

-space-

**A/N 11/15/10:** Originally, only Denkomaru was going to be affected by the Lucky Mallet. Then, I decided that did not really make sense. So, yeah, the Lucky Mallet now shrinks big things and enlarges small things(sounds dirty...). Since I have said it, it must be canon.

And now Sasuke's glaive has a name: the Moon Glaive. How...original. -_-;


	30. Battle on the Platform of Time

**Chapter Thirty: Battle on the Platform of Time**

**A/N 11/17/10: **Song of the Day: _"Cursive Eve" _by I:Scintilla. It's a really awesome song.^^

-space-

The platform came to a stop at the peak of the shrine. A steady shower of snow had begun to fall. Freezing winds buffeted the duo, nearly knocking them over. The ice around them shimmered in the pale moonlight.

Ishaku pulled Denkomaru from the platform. He rested the spine of the blade on his shoulder. "So, where to now, furball?"

Sasuke tugged his glaive free with his teeth. He tossed it up into the air. It landed on his back in a flurry of light. "We find some stairs. Or I guess we could jump."

"How about we give you a push?" Sasuke took on a fighting stance. He bared his fangs, recognizing the voice instantly.

"Crescent!" The blond woman smirked. She put a hand on her hip.

"So, the little god-puppy has a Celestial Envoy. How cute." Crescent took a step toward them. "Now, surrender before I rip you to shreds."

Ishaku waved Denkomaru threateningly. "Back off, babe! We ain't afraid of no demon!"

Crescent scoffed. Another woman appeared beside her. She had blue hair cropped extremely short, and a gold earring hung from her left ear. "Moonbeam, you take the bug. I'll get the brat." The woman nodded silently.

"Just try it, Moon Losers!" shouted Sasuke, his glaive spinning on his back.

Ishaku covered his face with his hand. "This is why wolves shouldn't be able to talk."

"Oh, like you could do-"

"Time to go, Prophet!" shouted Crescent, running at him. Sasuke jumped back away from her. His back paws slipped on the ice, sending him falling over the edge.

"Wah! No!" he cried. She grabbed his scruff and tossed him to the center of the platform. He tumbled head over paws, nearly barreling into Moonbeam. The silent Warrior simply stopped him with her foot. "Hey!"

"My turn!" shouted Ishaku, charging at Crescent. "Face the wrath of Denkomaru!" She raised an arm to block the sword. The blade sliced through her sleeve. She snarled as blood dribbled down her limb and splattered onto the elevating platform.

"Annoying pest." Crescent swiftly ran sharp nails across his face. With her other hand, she made a fist and punched him hard in the stomach. His armor cracked under the strain.

"Ugh!" Ishaku shoved his sword at her side. Denkomaru stabbed straight through her belly. Crescent growled deep in her throat. Blood trailed from her mouth as she grabbed his hand and began withdrawing the blade. He scowled and forced the sword deeper. She spit a mouthful of blood in his face.

"Just give up, bug. Nothing you could ever do to me can beat me." She gave the blade a sharp tug. Denkomaru wrenched free with a sickening _splurt_ of blood. "Nothing can compare to the wrath of the Emperor when one of us fails." Her tongue darted out to sample of the crimson river that slid down her arm. She balled her trembling hand into a fist. "Right, Moonbeam?" The blue-haired Warrior, who was currently playing 'Kick-the-Sasuke', nodded. Crescent grinned. "If you still don't believe us, just ask Waka."

Ishaku scoffed and raised his blade. "I don't even know who that is!" He swung at her, but she dodged and kicked his side. The armor rattled but held strong. "It's not like I care anyway!" shouted the Poncle, attacking again. Denkomaru missed once more; Crescent slammed her fist down against his back. He stumbled forward, nearly falling on his face. He yelled in frustration and began a series of rapid swordswings. Crescent smirked and prepared to counterattack.

Meanwhile, Sasuke had gotten away from Moonbeam. He swung his glaive at her, but she dodged with ease. She backhanded him, knocking him away. He shook himself off. "You aren't even trying... Why?" Her pale eyes just stared at him. "How do you two know my father?"

"Old friends. He dyed my hair this color as a joke." His eyes widened.

"Friends?" Moonbeam kicked at his muzzle. He avoided it and barked to get her attention. She waited silently. "Friends?" he asked again. "If you two are his friends, why are you trying to steal his pups?"

"Not both. Just you. You have been chosen by Tsukuyomi."

"Chosen?"

"That's right, Prophet." He turned toward the voice. Crescent grinned at him. Blood stained her clothes. Ishaku stumbled after her, his helmet cracked and chestplate shattered. "A new Warrior. After all these years." She sidestepped another stroke from Denkomaru. The sword clanged against the platform. "It figures the runaway would get the special brat."

Sasuke growled, his ears flat and fangs bared. Blue energy surrounded his glaive. "I am so sick of these stupid riddles..." The Lunar Trinity on his glaive began to glow. The hands of the clock began to move again. Something beneath the lunar zodiac flickered.

"Furball, what did you do?" asked Ishaku, raising Denkomaru defensively.

"I-I don't know!" The glow from the platform brightened until Sasuke realized what was happening. "No..." A Lunar Trinity had been hidden beneath the lunar zodiac. The power of three members of the Moon Tribe had activated it. Now, they were about to be teleported straight to the moon. "Move, Ishaku!" cried the wolf, bounding at his friend.

"Where am I supposed to go?" Sasuke slammed into him with all his strength. They slid across the icy platform and straight off the edge. A blinding light engulfed the top of the shrine as they plummeted. "Stupid mutt!" The Poncle pushed him away as the Lucky Mallet appeared overhead. Sasuke fell away from him. He flipped over and could now see the ground rushing up to meet him. The air left his lungs.

"_I'm going to die..." _ He clenched his eyes shut. _"I'm sorry, Sakura!"_

Something yanked harshly on his scruff. He jolted back, almost positive his neck had snapped in the process. "Silly pup. If you die, we have to capture Waka." Bitter wind flowed past as he began to fall again. This time, however, the descent felt controlled. A stern hand still gripped his fur. "Mature your skills, little Prophet. Tell your friends to do the same." Freezing snow began to soak through his coat. His eyes fluttered open. His paws rested on the ground. _ "I'm safe...?"_ He slowly gazed up, and through blurred eyesight saw Raiden grinning down at him. "I shall buy you some time. Use it wisely."

Horrific pain crackled through his body. The man's electric aura swirled around them. "Give my regards to Ushiwaka!"

Sasuke's eyesight faded to black. He crumpled in the snow, a drop of ink on empty parchment.


End file.
